Skip to content

Canary Wharf fatberg: Mass 'weight of bungalow' cleared from sewer

THAMES WATER FatbergsTHAMES WATER
It took engineers two weeks to shift the fatberg which weighed the same as a small bungalow

A "disgusting" fatberg with the same weight as a small bungalow has been cleared from an east London sewer.

Thames Water engineers said it took two weeks and "brute force" to unclog the foul-smelling mass of fat, grease and "unflushable" items from a sewage path in Canary Wharf.

The fatberg had got stuck under Yabsley Street and could have spilled sewage into homes, engineers added.

Canary Wharf residents have been urged to be "careful what they flush".

Thames Water Fatberg before and afterThames Water
Fatbergs are formed when oil, grease and fat poured down drains combine with non-biodegradable items such as wet wipes, nappies and cotton buds

Thames Water engineers and MTS Cleansing Services used high-powered water jets and hand tools to chip away at the blockage.

Chris Henderson, from MTS Cleansing Services, said teams worked "tirelessly" and "achieved great results in difficult conditions".

Thames Water Engineers shifting fatbergThames Water
Workers used high-powered jets and hand tools to chip away at the blockage beneath Canary Wharf

Head of waste networks at Thames Water, Matt Rimmer, described the fatberg as "huge and disgusting".

Another fatberg was removed from London sewers in October, which weighed "more than an African elephant".

Thames Water said it spends £18 million each year clearing 75,000 blockages from sewers in London and the Thames Valley.