Fatberg as big as double-decker bus removed ‘by hand’ from London sewer

‘This was a massive and disgusting blockage,’ says Thames Water

A “disgusting” 40-tonne fatberg the size of a double-decker bus has been cleared from a London sewer after engineers pulled part of it out by hand.

The huge mass of fat, grease, wet wipes and nappies was discovered lurking underground in Greenwich earlier this year.

Although its size was comparable to that of a double-decker bus, its density meant that its mass was equivalent to more than three of the huge vehicles.

Over time the blockage had grown to take up 80 per cent of the sewer’s capacity at some points – and if left unchecked could have caused filth to back up into nearby homes and businesses.

Engineers from Thames Water spent three weeks using high-powered water jets to blast it into smaller pieces before removing the debris with their hands.

“This was a massive and disgusting blockage that took a great deal of effort and teamwork to clear and get the sewer working well again,” said Matt Rimmer, Thames Water’s head of waste networks.

“I’m happy that our team was able to get down and work hard to quickly to clear the fatberg before it could cause problems for our customers and the environment.”

The mixture of fat, grease, nappies and wet wipes weighed 40 tonnes - the same as three London buses (Thames Water)

He urged the public to make sure they only flushed urine, faeces and toilet paper to prevent the development of further monstrosities.

Fat and oil should be put in the bin rather than down the sink, Mr Rimmer added.

The Greenwich fatberg paled in comparison to the giant 250-metre-long blockage weighing 130 tonnes found in the Victorian sewers of Whitechapel in 2017.

Last year a 64-metre fatberg – longer than the Leaning Tower of Pisa – was discovered under The Esplanade in Sidmouth, Devon. An extensive autopsy revealed it was made up of animal fats combined with household hygiene products such as wet wipes, sanitary products and fibres form toilet tissues and laundry.

In February an 84-metre fatberg was discovered in Liverpool and earlier this month a 20-metre-long fatberg in north London caused the flooding of several gardens.