Huge 'fatberg' which could have caused flooding removed from sewer in Stroud
A huge 'fatberg' made of wipes and sanitary products that could have caused a number of homes to become flooded has been removed from a sewer.
The giant ball was pulled out of a pipe in Stroud by Severn Trent engineers after they were called to investigate a sewer blockage.
It is one of tens of thousands of blockages that are caused by people flushing the wrong items down toilets.
Now a warning has been issued to locals to ensure that they are disposing of waste products correctly.Grant Mitchell, fats, oils and grease strategy lead at Severn Trent Water, said: “Wipes are great for lots of things, but one thing they’re really not good for is our sewer pipes."
"A blockage this size could have easily caused sewer flooding for homes nearby, which would be awful for anyone to have to experience, but totally avoidable.”As well as wipes and sanitary products, residents are also being warned not to dispose of fats, oils and greases down sinks in order to prevent blockages.Mr Mitchell added: “This blockage is the result of everyone flushing just one wipe here and there, and not realising that it’s all collecting in the pipe and creating a big problem like this."“It’s really easy to avoid this, and prevent issues for you and your neighbours - make sure all wipes, kitchen roll, cotton buds and other sanitary products go straight into the bin, not down the toilet.""That’s going to help everyone, and hopefully avoid nasty blockages like this.”
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