A roughly hundred-meter-long fatberg has been found in the sewer under London's Whitechapel district, partially blocking the pipes. According to the BBC, removal could take weeks. Experts warn of the consequences of disposing fats and wipes in drains.
The discovery of the fatberg in Whitechapel highlights the risks of careless disposal in sewers. The lump of hardened fat seeping from drains combines with hygiene wipes, tampons, and food scraps to form a growing issue. A BBC expert states: »What happens when fats, oils, and wet wipes end up in the drain – they don't disappear, but accumulate and cause serious damage.«
This fatberg is not the largest in the district's history. In 2017, workers in Whitechapel removed a block over 250 meters long made of old fat, which took nine weeks and was known as the »Monster of Whitechapel.« Such formations harden in the cold sewer and grow to monstrous sizes.
In Germany, comparable extreme cases are rare, but utilities report increasing blockages from fat and food residues, especially at Christmas when families cook elaborately. Liquid fat should be poured into a sealable container like a PET bottle and disposed of in household waste or at collection points depending on the region – an overview is available for Bavaria, for example. Solid residues are wrapped in kitchen paper and thrown in the trash, while food scraps go in the bio bin. Large amounts of liquid fat do not belong there. In the hospitality sector, fat separators are mandatory to protect sewers and treatment plants.
