Tweet
For leaving these behind...
Water workers in Wales took five hours to remove a fatberg as long as a football pitch from the sewage system.
The huge blob of congealed grease had blocked a 120m-long sewer along an entire street in Welshpool, Powys.
Severn Trent Water said the blockage had caused sewage to start backing up.
Effluent would have started coming back out through drains, sinks and toilets if work had not been undertaken quickly, the water firm said.
Severn Trent said it was getting concerned about the number of blockages being caused by fat and other material in some of its areas.
Since 2011 there have been 143 blockages in just three streets in Welshpool, with 110 of those caused by objects being flushed down the toilet and getting stuck.
The fatberg was discovered when technicians visited to find the source of its recent call outs.
Severn Trent's customer and community lead for Welshpool Jacqueline Whitehead said: "We certainly didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.
"Our investigation showed that one sewer in particular, on Berriew Road, had been entirely blocked by a build up of fat.
"And when we tried to clear the blockage, we found that the entire sewer was blocked, for 120 metres!
"It took our teams five hours of constant work to clear it out and get it flowing properly again.
"If we hadn't discovered it when we did, it would have eventually led to sewage backing up in the system and coming out where it could into people's homes and gardens.
"As it was, the manholes were already overflowing."
Ms Whitehead said the problem is caused by pouring cooking fat down a drain or plughole which then cools and solidifies.
Water companies say many people do not realise they remain responsible for their sewage outflow pipe until it leaves their property and if it becomes blocked with fat they may be faced with a bill.
Severn Trent recommends pouring large amounts of leftover cooking grease into a pot or jar with a lid and wiping out greasy pans with a bit of kitchen roll before putting all the waste in the bin.
Water workers in Wales took five hours to remove a fatberg as long as a football pitch from the sewage system.
The huge blob of congealed grease had blocked a 120m-long sewer along an entire street in Welshpool, Powys.
Severn Trent Water said the blockage had caused sewage to start backing up.
Effluent would have started coming back out through drains, sinks and toilets if work had not been undertaken quickly, the water firm said.
Severn Trent said it was getting concerned about the number of blockages being caused by fat and other material in some of its areas.
Since 2011 there have been 143 blockages in just three streets in Welshpool, with 110 of those caused by objects being flushed down the toilet and getting stuck.
The fatberg was discovered when technicians visited to find the source of its recent call outs.
Severn Trent's customer and community lead for Welshpool Jacqueline Whitehead said: "We certainly didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.
"Our investigation showed that one sewer in particular, on Berriew Road, had been entirely blocked by a build up of fat.
"And when we tried to clear the blockage, we found that the entire sewer was blocked, for 120 metres!
"It took our teams five hours of constant work to clear it out and get it flowing properly again.
"If we hadn't discovered it when we did, it would have eventually led to sewage backing up in the system and coming out where it could into people's homes and gardens.
"As it was, the manholes were already overflowing."
Ms Whitehead said the problem is caused by pouring cooking fat down a drain or plughole which then cools and solidifies.
Water companies say many people do not realise they remain responsible for their sewage outflow pipe until it leaves their property and if it becomes blocked with fat they may be faced with a bill.
Severn Trent recommends pouring large amounts of leftover cooking grease into a pot or jar with a lid and wiping out greasy pans with a bit of kitchen roll before putting all the waste in the bin.
Comment