Fatberg Ahoy!

TerrorFirmer

If you're eating your breakfast, best put it down for a few minutes.

Galway Bay fm newsroom - A large ‘fatberg’ discovered in the city’s sewer network is being blamed for major odour and overflow issues across the city.

A ‘fatberg’ is a congealed lump of fat, often containing wet wipes or other sanitary items, which doesn’t break down in the system.

A new project initiated by Irish Water has discovered the blockages, which could cost hundreds of thousands of euro to fix.

The pilot project initiated by Irish Water has found that fats, oils and greases are causing significant damage to Galway city’s sewer system – with some areas of the network almost 40% blocked.

The project, conducted between Eyre Square and Sea Road, was commissioned after the City Council identified blockages as contributing significantly to flooding on several city streets.

It’s now discovered a ‘boulder-sized’ fatberg – a solidified block of fat, grease, oil and sanitary products – in a sewer along Shop street.

It also found that 90% of city businesses, including restaurants, launderettes and hairdressers, have failed to introduce controls to reduce the rate of fat, oil and grease discharged into sewers.

As a result, the city’s sewer network is experiencing serious odour and overflow issues across the board – a situation that will cost hundreds of thousands of euro to fix.

According to the Irish Independent, Irish Water is now rolling out an education programme, and is set to implement a national licensing regime to put an end to unregulated discharging into the city’s sewer network.

http://galwaybayfm.ie/large-blockage-fat-discovered-city-sewer-network/

biko

a situation that will cost hundreds of thousands of euro to fix.

Cost to cut up fat and send to landfill - 5000 euro.
Fat cat profits - 195000 euro.

Red_Wake

Good to see that the problems with the city's sewerage system are being recognised, and being fixed.

Having said that, will they name and shame anyone caught dumping grease and fats into the system? They should.

Mrs OBumble

Mmm, this would explain the smell in Shop St yesterday - there were whispers around the place that the council were flushing the sewers and that it smelt BAD.

ben.schlomo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Mmm, this would explain the smell in Shop St yesterday - there were whispers around the place that the council were flushing the sewers and that it smelt BAD.

Like a large burning stink bomb.

galah

I distinctly remember a report in the media several years ago, where they highlighted the issue of businesses (especially restaurants/takeaways) emptying their grease traps/fryers etc into the sewers. Pretty shocking if this is still ongoing and hasnt actually been addressed, and that there are no checks from council/whoever deals with this stuff regarding compliance.

:mad:

galah

galah wrote: »

I distinctly remember a report in the media several years ago, where they highlighted the issue of businesses (especially restaurants/takeaways) emptying their grease traps/fryers etc into the sewers. Pretty shocking if this is still ongoing and hasnt actually been addressed, and that there are no checks from council/whoever deals with this stuff regarding compliance.

:mad:

Is it illegal?

biko

Saw a sewage truck on top of Shop Street tonight doing their thing.

gctest50

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it illegal?

Local Government (Sanitary Services) Acts, 1878 to 1962

These Acts make it a criminal offense to discharge “any matter likely to injure the sewer or drain, to interfere with the free flow of its contents or to affect prejudicially the treatment and disposal of its contents”.

NiallBoo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Is it illegal?

Yup.

Levels of fat in waste water are periodically inspected and businesses can be fined - I'm amazed there's a 90% non-compliance rate.