You heard that right. Sitting in the city's Victorian-era sewer system is a big mess of icky, which, if not removed, would end up spilling onto London's streets. *Insert gasps of horror*
— Thames Water (@thameswater) September 12, 2017
Dubbed "fatberg," by Thames Water, a private utility company, the "rock-solid" blockage formed directly underneath the city's Whitechapel neighborhood.
"It's a total monster and taking a lot of manpower and machinery to remove as it's set hard," Matt Rimmer, head of waste networks for Thames Water, told NPR.
Crews are currently working to get rid of the monster, but it is proving to be more difficult.
— Thames Water (@thameswater) September 14, 2017
Equipped with high-powered hoses, an eight-person crew is climbing deep into the sewage system to bring up bits and pieces back to the surface-- one stinky, greasy chunk at a time.
"This sewer is about a meter high and the ‘fatberg' comes about two-thirds of the way up," Alex Saunder, a sewer network manager for Thames Water, told NBC News. "By catching it this early we were able to start dealing with it before it fully blocks the sewer."
At the moment authorities predict it might take roughly three weeks for the "fatberg" to be no more, and while the locals aren't thrilled with the stench, one party is excited.
— Thames Water (@thameswater) September 14, 2017
The Museum of London says it wants first dibs on the obstruction. According to Alex Werner, the museum's curator, it would show Londoners how residents throw things down the drain without realizing its impact.
"This item hits home that we do have quite an old infrastructure. Our sewer system dates back to the mid-19th century," Werner told BBC Radio London. "It is interesting in terms of problems we face with a growing population in London, and the way that we are using the sewerage system in really the wrong way."
So who's ready to buy a ticket and check out the "worse than fecal matter" monstrosity?
