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Giant blob of fat dubbed 'fatberg' is blocking a London sewer

A huge disgusting blob of fat called "fatberg" blocking a 250 meter stretch of London's sewer network could go on display at the Museum of London.

The museum contacted Thames Water about getting its hands on a chunk of wet wipes, napkins, fat, and oil following its discovery in a Victorian-era sewer in Whitechapel, east London.

Engineers are using shovels and high-powered jets to get the fatberg out. The blob was found earlier this month, and it's one of the largest ever discovered in London's sewer network.

Alex Werner, lead curator for the museum, told The Guardian:

"It speaks to the breakdown in London’s infrastructure as we transition between periods. The sewer dates back to the 19th century, and is struggling to cope with the number of high-rise developments and population increases. In 50 years’ time, maybe it will be looked on as a historic artifact, because we’ll have solved this problem.

Our challenge is to think of a way to make it presentable to the public. We need to work out a way we can store it and display it. It’s a bit like a specimen. We need to find a kind of fluid to maintain it for a long time. We have a bit of research yet to do.”

Thames Water spends about £1m every month clearing out blockages from London's sewers, an average of three fat-related blockages every hour.

Click here to read more at The Guardian.


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