Metro Vancouver officials released images on October 25th of a giant “fatberg” being removed in the city of Richmond, British Columbia (BC).
Fatberg is a portmanteau of fat and iceberg, and refers to a mass of fat, oil, etc. Fatbergs that form in sewer pipes turn into a concrete-like substance through a chemical reaction, causing pipe blockages.
According to reports, the images were taken in mid-October during a cleanup operation in a sewer near Holly bridge Trunk and Lansdowne Road in the north of the city. Several large yellowish chunks of oil were lined up in front of the workers, amounting to about 50 tonnes.
The work began in July and was removed using high-pressure steam and vacuum trucks. Officials say buildups of this magnitude are rare, but that Metro Vancouver and other municipalities spend $3 million a year trying to remove them, and that preventing them will require everyone’s help, urging residents to dispose of fats and oils in their food recycling instead of pouring them down the sink.