You may have seen recent reports that Liverpool is now the 'proud' owner of our very own FATBERG...
Metro Rod in Liverpool have been warning of the dangers of flushing inappropriate materials down toilets and sinks and drains and it now seems like we were exactly right; a giant Fatberg has been discovered under the streets of Liverpool and it's a whopper!
According to local newspaper, The Liverpool Echo, the fatberg weighs a colossal 90 tonnes and is 80 metres long! Unfortunately the fatberg cannot be removed via the traditional methods that a company would employ, namely High Pressure Water Jetting (HPWJ) and so is having to be chipped away by hand, in a pain staking operation that is expected to take a number of weeks to remove. Once the fatberg is removed though pieces will be taken away for recycling into biofuel. The cost of removing this fatberg is set to top £100,000!
But, what is a fatberg?
Fatbergs used to known as fatballs but with the increase in fats and other inappropriate items being disposed of in drainage these have grown and developed into fatbergs. In simplest terms, a fatberg is a congealed mass of solid matter (ie wet wipes), grease, fats and other items that are disposed of down sinks and drains. These include condoms, feminine hygiene products, cotton buds, nappies and other such items. When the sewers were designed and built (did you know that Liverpool is home to the world's earliest sewer system?) our lifestyles were completely different to now. We did not dispose of waste in the same way as we do now. We also did not have the same fatty food, takeaways and so on. When items enter a sewerage system any snags on the walls can cause items to accumulate, especially at areas of slower flow. When these items catch, other items will 'stick' to them, greases and fats and so on and then a fatberg will start to form.
Below is a short video, showing the fatberg under Liverpool.
Why are fatbergs bad?
Currently United Utilities deal with an average of 28,000 blockages in the sewers of Liverpool per year. Before even thinking of the environmental cost, how much does this cost us in terms of money? If disposing of fats and other items in the correct way was done, these blockages would decrease, meaning our money could be spent elsewhere.
What can I do to help?
Quite simply it's the '3p's' rule again:
Only flush Pee, Poo and Paper!
Metro Rod have been spreading the word for some time now that these are the only 3 things that should go down our toilets. With regards to fats, please dispose of them in the rubbish bin by leaving them to cool then scraping them away. Not down the sink!
If we can do these things then this will eliminate the risk of another fatberg invading our sewers again in the future!
I have a blockage on my property, what shall I do?
Call Metro Rod of course! If you have flushed something down your drains that shouldn't be flushed or washed fats down your sink then you are at risk of getting blockages. Do not worry - Metro Rod are here to help! Our super, qualified engineers are on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to deal with any drainage problems at your home or business. We do not judge (we really have seen it all before!) but we do help. Our engineers are all trained to deal with drain problems of all shapes and sizes, internal or external. We have all of the equipment to make sure that we cause minimal disruption but with the best results.
If you need us then get in touch, either call us on 0151 909 2807, to go our website, www.metrorod.co.uk/local/Liverpool, email us on Mersey@metrorod.co.uk or check out our Facebook or Twitter pages. We would love to hear from you!
Talk to your local Metro Rod specialist
We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00
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