Five hours spent clearing huge 'Fatberg' from sewage

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Tuesday, 13 June 2017 13:33

The mass of solid fat, oil and grease took 5 hours to remove.

By Iveren McCallion

A huge 'fatberg' has been cleared at Buttercrane Quay.

It took NI Water five hours to remove the build-up of solid fat, oil and grease (FOG) from a manhole.

A spokesperson said the blockage could have led to sewer flooding.

To prevent that, NI Water's encouraging businesses to dispose of greasy waste at oil banks.

Wastewater Area Manager for the area, Jim McElrath explained, "FOG in its liquid form may not look harmful, but it becomes a major problem once in our drains. Even when hot water or soap is poured down the sink – the fat, oil and grease will still harden. Detergents and bleach may also appear to work, but this is only temporary. Each year, NI Water spends valuable resources fixing avoidable problems. "

In the last two years NI Water has spent more than £5 million clearing blockages from the sewer system.