In use since 2013, the term 'fatberg' has become an increasingly heard term that describes a large solid mass found in a sewer which is made up of non-biodegradable solid matter and grease or cooking fat.
As Statista's Martin Armstrong details below, the main culprit usually blamed is the flushing away of wet wipes. When these get caught up on something in the pipes, other substances begin to cling to them and, over time, can grow into huge, drain clogging beasts.
So far, the title of most monstrous fatberg likely belongs to one discovered under Birchall Street in Liverpool in 2019.
Described by United Utilities as a "giant 400 tonne terror", it covered a 250m stretch of sewer.
According to the water supply company, there are 25,000 sewer blockages in the North West of England every year, with the chief cause "the increasing volume of fat and other items such as wet wipes".
Removing these unwanted biomasses is far from easy, either.
The fatberg discovered in Whitechapel, London in 2017 weighed around 130 tonnes and required a nine week "battle" to be removed.
Poster Comment:
Wet wipes are used by nervous nellies who do not understand that there are good and bad microbes. Killing good microbes with antibiotics only makes you more vulnerable to disease by killing your gut barrier which surrounds your colon and intestines protecting you from pathogens.
#1: Horse To: All (#0)
Horse posted on 2022-05-01 10:59:24 Reply Private Reply
#2: Lod To: Horse (#0)
Lod posted on 2022-05-01 11:03:20 Reply Private Reply
#3: StraitGate To: Lod, Horse (#2)
StraitGate posted on 2022-05-01 11:23:04 Reply Private Reply
#4: Esso To: Lod, 4um (#2)
I NEVER put grease down the drain. I save used plastic containers, like cottage cheese or sour cream comes in, and put it in there to put in the garbage when it's full. I keep some bacon grease in the fridge to use for frying eggs and stuff.
I've seen what grease does to the pipes in houses. Nasty.
Esso posted on 2022-05-01 11:34:34 Reply Private Reply
#5: Esso To: StraitGate (#3)
I had a similar thought.
Esso posted on 2022-05-01 11:35:34 Reply Private Reply