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A FATBERG MEASURING the length of a Boeing 747 has been found in a sewer under a London street.
The fatberg, which is a congealed mass of fat, wet wipes, and litter put down drains and toilets, measured more than 80 metres. It took a team of experts almost one week to break it up.
“We’ve found all sorts in this sewer – from tennis balls to planks of wood,” said Dave Dennis of Thames Water. “It goes without saying they shouldn’t be in those pipes”.
The photograph (above) shows how the collection of fat and wet wipes almost reached the top of the sewer.
Dennis described how solid waste hardens when things are incorrectly put down drains and toilets.
“Fat goes down the drain easily enough, but when it hits the cold sewers, it hardens into disgusting fatbergs that block pipes”.
Wet wipes cling to the fat. Fat clings to the wipes. And pretty soon your fatberg is out of control and sewage is backing up into roads, gardens and in the worst cases, flooding up through toilets and into homes.
The experts used high powered water jets to break up the congealed mass to allow waste water to pass through the sewer again and prevent flooding at homes and businesses in the area of Shepherd’s Bush in west London.
The equivalent of €15 million is spent in London every year tackling blockages caused by people pouring cooking oil down the drain and wet wipes down the toilet.
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Can I have the tennis ball ?
In that gif all but one are redheads…ive never seen that such a concentration of redheads in an audience before. Not even at Eurovision Millstreet
Good job it didn’t make it to sea, we don’t want any fatbergs sinking any ships, and then having to watch rubbish film about said ship sinking.
This is what many feckless people on mains sewerage dump down their toilets.
Fat, Grease, Tampons, Sanitary Towels, Breast Pads, Dental Floss, Baby Wipes, Condoms etc etc etc.
Any chance of some of the tree hugging tech heads inventing a sensor that can recognise such items and fine the offenders?
Every house should have a grease trap!
“A team of experts”?
You just put me off my porridge
I’d hate to have a job like that where you just go through the motions everyday……
Am sure McDonalds could have found a use for it
They might find another one the length of a Boeing 777 if they look hard enough..
Brian Cowan’s underpants
We are a revolting species. I’m surprised we’ve survived this long? I wonder what the earth will look like in the 300 years from now if we continue to pollute and fk up this planet?
I’ve done worse after a heavy night and a curry
Don’t know why so many posters think this is a good topic for sport and jokes. We are choking the planet. It’s not funny
A team of experts ???? Like the same team of experts we see sweeping our streets in the morning ? The appropriate name for theses men are council workers
Heroes every one of them, used needles and poo? No thanks.
They deserve all the credit they get for cleaning up our shit!
What credit?
In West London mind you! I’d never have thought…
lovely. thats me gone of my toast this morning
In today’s media a labourer working down a sewer with a power washer is an “expert”. How would a guy doing something more difficult such as using a spade be described? As for someone with the ability to drive a car on a fast motorway or in a crowded city, they must have superhuman abilities.
I’m surprised they didn’t find any human remains in it
I’m DELIGHTED they didn’t find any human remains in it.
Have you seen the the old man in the streets of London?
Fatberg. Dunno. Is that legit English?
Wait till the budget we will be paying a tennis ball and baby wipe tax!
Shouldn’t they be called what they really are, arse wipes!
Did it mention anything about a Harold? The pet alligator that ‘escaped’ down my toilet when I lived in Pimlico in the 80′s?
Always wondered what became of him???
Grammar…….the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you’re sh*t
I’d say there was a high concentration of rubber in that ‘fatberg’!
*gag*
Grammar…….the difference between knowing your sh*t and knowing you’re sh*t
Another congestion charge should sort it out!
Owen.
Is that actually a real picture of you?
If so, may I be the first to congratulate you on the fact that you look like a complete knob.
Eeeww. Gross.
There could have been remain,s of human,s in it though
You don’t use punctuation marks for plural – and when you do use punctuation marks, they should be apostrophes, not commas.
It’s not a grammer competition. Relax.
Thrft thua
Jm
A.jju hl
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