This 10-Tonne “Fatberg” In London Was So Big It Broke A Sewer

It's costing £400,000 to repair the damage.

A gigantic collection of congealed fat and litter – commonly known as a “fatberg” – has been removed from a sewer in Chelsea, south London.

Thames Water

The fatberg was 40 metres long, weighed 10 tonnes, and caused a sewage pipe to break.

Thames Water said it was spending £400,00 to replace the 1940s sewer.

Since last month, 22 metres of the pipe have been replaced, with another 17 metres to go.

The water firm said nearby businesses on Draycott Avenue and Walton Street had to deal with “smelly problems” as a result of the blockage.

Thames Water

It said also that in the last five years, 18,000 homes in its catchment area have been flooded with sewage, and it has dealt with 200,000 blockages.

Project manager Stephen Hunt said in a statement: “The amount of fat we've had to remove has been staggering."

Thames Water

“Chelsea has done itself proud here. We see blockages all the time on household sewer pipes, which are about big enough for a cricket ball to pass through – but to have this much damage on a sewer almost a metre in diameter is mind-boggling."

He added: “The original sewer has been so badly abused by fat being chucked down the plughole we’ve had to opt for the time-consuming and disruptive option of replacing many metres of pipe.

"I’d urge the residents of Chelsea to consider what lurks beneath their feet – and when it comes to getting rid of fat, ‘bin it, don’t block it’.”