Fatbergs: Brisbane sewerage system clogged by fat, grease, oil, wet wipes and sanitary products

GIANT blobs of fat, grease, oil and sanitary products are clogging sewers below Brisbane. After releasing CCTV footage showing the extent of the smelly mass collecting below our homes, Queensland Urban Utilities says half of us are to blame.

QUEENSLAND Urban Utilities has released new CCTV footage revealing the giant ‘fatbergs’ that are clogging up the sewerage system below Brisbane and costing ratepayers thousands.

Fatbergs form when cooking oils and fats tipped down the sink collect with other nasties that shouldn’t be in the sewer, like wet wipes.

A 250m-long, 130-tonne fatberg was discovered in a Victorian-era London sewerage system earlier this year and took nine weeks to clear.

A ‘fatbergs’ in a sewer below Brisbane. Picture: Queensland Urban Utilities

After revealing the disgusting footage shot in Brisbane sewers, Queensland Urban Utilities spokesman Michelle Cull urged Queenslanders to help curb the problem on Christmas weekend.

“The festive season can be more like the fatberg season, with many people washing the fat from baked ham and roast meats straight down the sink,” she said.

Queensland Urban Utilities spokeswoman Michelle Cull with a Christmas roast.

“It might seem harmless and convenient, but hot cooking fat cools while travelling through the sewers and solidifies into a smelly mass.

“Fatbergs are a major cause of blockages in our pipes, but they can also cause blockages in household plumbing, potentially costing hundreds of dollars to repair.”

A new Queensland Urban Utilities survey found one in four people washed cooking oils down the kitchen sink.

It also found 50 per cent of people tip leftover sauces and dips down the plughole, while almost 15 per cent wash food scraps down the sink.

There are simple ways people can prevent their big Christmas feast causing a big fatberg problem, including wiping the grease from pans with paper towel or pouring cooking oils into a container and throwing it in the bin.

“It’s also a good idea to scrape your Christmas leftovers into the rubbish bin instead of the sink. The message is simple - ‘think at the sink’ - and avoid a jolly big plumbing problem,” Ms Cull said.

Originally published as Fatbergs: Brisbane sewerage system clogged by fat, grease, oil, wet wipes and sanitary products