An ‘iceberg’ of grease, estimated to weigh around 100 tonnes, has been discovered blocking east London’s sewers.
The solidified mass of fat, oil and grease was discovered in the tunnels beneath the Whitechapel district. It is approximately 100 meters long.
Thames Water (the company responsible for London’s water and sewerage services) said it could take weeks to fully extract the block and “this is a stark reminder that what flows down the pipes doesn’t disappear”.
The company is asking people to think carefully about what they put on their sinks and toilets this holiday season.
‘Little child’
Thames Water says residents have so far not been affected as the sewer blockage is only partial.
Tim Davies, head of operations in North London, said: “This new ‘fatberg’ shows exactly what happens when fats, oils and paper flow down our pipes. They don’t disappear, they accumulate, causing serious damage.
“The cost of unblocking and repairing sewers runs into tens of millions of pounds every year,” he points out, “and that money ultimately comes from our customers. »
The boulder has been dubbed the “grandchild” of the Whitechapel fat iceberg of 2017. It weighed 130 tonnes and measured more than 250 meters long.
This block was one of the largest ever discovered in the British capital. A sample was even exhibited at the Museum of London, attracting large numbers of visitors.
Thames Water explains that blockages tend to occur mainly in December and January. So she asks people to scrape food off their plates, use sink drains and avoid pouring creams and liquid foods, like sauces or broths, down the sink.
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