Halloween might be on the horizon, but the real monster that you should be afraid of is the one lurking right beneath your feet – the fatberg beast. In this article, we’ll be going through what a fatberg is, how they form, why they’re a problem and reasons to dispose of used cooking oil responsibly. So, here’s everything you need to know to fight the monster beneath:
What is this sewer monster? Fatbergs: explained
A fatberg is a large mass of congealed fat, oil, wet wipes, nappies, sanitary products, cotton buds and more. When waste oil and fat combine with non-biodegradable items, it all clings to the sewer walls, gradually building up and hardening into a concrete-like mass over time. The term is borrowed from the English word “iceberg”. But in 2015, the term “fatberg” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). In that vein, the OED defines a fatberg as being “a large lump or mass consisting chiefly of cooking fat which had congealed and hardened after being poured down a domestic drain”. It’s a terrifying sewer monster that has detrimental consequences on the community and the environment. But more on that later.
How do fatbergs grow into horrific beasts?
It’s straightforward. A fatberg will grow into an unsightly beast as a result of waste cooking oil and fat being poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet. It will solidify and congeal as it cools, and it subsequently becomes sticky. This means that, even if you don’t flush sanitary products down the toilet, simple things like toilet paper will stick to the sides.
Fatbergs will form more quickly and grow to a much larger size if you and your neighbours are also flushing wet wipes, nappies, cotton buds, kitchen towel and other things down the loo. When combined with oil and fat, all of the products will bind and build up over time.
The other thing that doesn’t help is that the sewers were built to serve a city with around 4 million people living in it. There are now nearly 9 million people living in the same cities with the same sewers.
None of the sewer systems has been updated to accommodate this increase in population size. While there are contributing factors at play when it comes to fatberg mergers, the main reason is flushing things down the toilet and pouring substances into the drain that just shouldn’t be.
Why are fatbergs every homeowner’s worst nightmare?
Fatbergs are every property owner’s worst nightmare. Whether you’re a commercial or a domestic client, we’re on hand to collect your waste cooking oil from your premises, giving you a credit note against a fresh supply of cooking oil in the process. We can even give you cash for your used cooking oil – whichever you’d prefer. By collecting your used cooking oil, you don’t have to worry about disposing of it correctly to avoid the formation of a monster fatberg lurking in your sewers. But why are fatbergs so bad? Let’s take a closer look:
They can cause a sewer blockage from hell
You might think that, given the size of a super sewer in cities like London can be as big as 7.2 metres in diameter, a little oil and fat here and there isn’t going to cause any disruption, but you’d be very much mistaken. The Whitechapel Fatberg, for instance, was a terrifying 250 metres long when it was found in 2017.
It’s the equivalent of being the size of four football pitches or the same length as Tower Bridge. Weighing in at a colossal 130 tonnes, it weighed the same as eleven double-decker buses. That’s too much for any sewer to take, hence why it became infamous across the world. Its discovery was covered by the New York Times, CBS, Sky News and ABC Australia. It even sparked the creation of a cake replica.
We know how fatbergs form, but this one was a “total monster”. It took “a lot of manpower and machinery to remove” thanks to its sheer size and solid state. In fact, removing the mass was described as “like trying to break up concrete”. It took a considerable amount of resources, time and money to resolve, making it a sewer blockage from hell.
Drains can flood with horror
Sticking with the Whitechapel Fatberg as an example, the mass was so big that it posed a serious risk of raw sewage flooding out onto the streets of London. While not all fatbergs will be as large as the one found in Whitechapel, they all have the potential to grow into something huge and scary, eventually. The more fatbergs form, the more chance there is of flooding in those highly populated areas, and it won’t just be wastewater that comes flooding out, either.
The costs to repair fatberg damage are terrifying
According to ABC News, fatbergs cost millions to remove. The Whitechapel Fatberg cost Thames Water £2.1 million to extract, with £1 million spent every month clearing routine blockages in the same London area. This covered a wide range of different costs, including the repair and cleaning of the drains after it was removed. But moving onto a domestic drain unblock, it can cost, on average, £279. So, if you don’t want to pay for a drain unblock on your property, then do your utmost to dispose of waste cooking oil sensibly. Keep reading to find out how you can do that.
Its environmental consequences are evil
You might think that just because fatbergs exist underground, they don’t pose an immediate environmental threat. But that’s not the case. Blocked sewers have the potential to send raw sewage into rivers, streams and coastal waters. If an overflow happens, then untreated waste subsequently introduces pathogens into the waterways.
It then strips oxygen from the water and poisons the food chain from the bottom up. The fish will suffocate. Subsequently, other animals will lose food sources if they rely on those fish for sustenance. It’s a cascade from a simple blocked pipe somewhere in London. So, it might not seem like a big deal environmentally, but it is, really.
6 reasons why pouring waste cooking oil down the drain is a frightening concept
We’ve been through why fatbergs are a problem. But they wouldn’t have formed if people disposed of their waste cooking oil and fat properly. As such, we should be doing our utmost to ensure that fatbergs don’t manifest in the sewers.
Why pouring used cooking oil down the drain is a bad idea
- The monster will grow in your pipes – the consequences will not be evident immediately, but repeated disposal will cause issues over time. As the grease builds up, the drain will smell and become blocked. The last thing you want is a sewer backup
- It causes horrifying blockages – as the oil cools, it solidifies. This restricts water flow, eventually causing a blockage. At this point, professional intervention will need to be sought. It can sometimes result in new pipework if the blockage cannot be sorted
- It can summon other waste types – oil creates a sticky surface, making it easier for other food particles to cling to it. Before long, persistent grease and fat buildup won’t be your only problem
- The demon will rear its ugly head – as the sewers and drains become blocked, it will cause a backup. This means that you could have sewage and wastewater backing up inside your home
- It sucks the life out of your drains – continuous pouring of waste oil and fat down the drain can cause serious and expensive damage to pipework, both inside and outside the home. It can also impact your neighbour’s systems in more serious cases
- Sewer flooding can cause a nightmare for all – rather than sewage coming up into your own home, it can overflow onto the public highways. This isn’t pleasant for anyone in your community
How to stop a fatberg rising from the dead
There are several things you can do to protect your drains from bulging fatberg monsters. From putting waste food products into the bin to not using your toilet as a secondary waste bin, here’s how you can stop a fatberg rising from the dead and wreaking havoc on your drainage systems:
- Banish fats and oils to the bin – always pour your waste oils and fats into the waste bin. You should then take a paper towel and wipe out the excess before washing. Make sure you put the used paper towel into the bin as well
- Don’t conjure up loo monsters – the toilet is not a bin. Sanitary products, wet wipes, oils, fats, nappies, cotton buds, kitchen roll and other items should never be flushed
- Prevent food waste from haunting your drains – food scraps, fats and oils can cause blockages. Scrape plates into the bin before washing or putting them in the dishwasher. Never put leftovers in the sink
- Protect your pipes from evil – use things like sink strainers to protect pipework and drains. Small changes to household habits can make a world of difference when it comes to keeping your pipes safe
Cater Oils offers a free waste cooking oil collection service, making it easy for businesses to dispose of used oil responsibly. To find out more about our waste cooking oil collection service, our range of fresh cooking oils, or how recycled oil is transformed into biodiesel, get in touch with our friendly and experienced team today – we’re always happy to answer your questions and help you find the right solution for your business.
