‘FatBergs’ A Reminder Of What Not To Flush

WEST HAVEN, Utah — A slimy, grimy ball of goop is garnering a bit of attention on West Haven City’s Facebook page. It came out of a sewer pump Monday, pulled in part by the city’s Superintendent over Sewer & Water, John Wallace.

“I’ll bet we probably spend at least two or three days each month, taking care of those types of things,” Wallace said. “They tend to plug up our pumps, and wrap around the wiring.”

The basketball-sized mass is what’s known as a “fatberg.” The name was coined after one weighing over a hundred tons plugged up the sewer system in London.

Wallace said the globs have fairly recently become a more common occurrence, thanks mostly to what are considered ‘flushable wipes.’ Wallace says while they may flush down the toilet, they cause big problems, further down the drain.

“They don’t dissolve, or break down quick enough,” Wallace explained. “They’re kind of tough.”

Yup. There I am, putting a GoPro into a toilet. The things I do for @KSL5TV. Tonight at 6, hear about the things you probably already put down yours, that cause BIG problems down the line. And I'm not talking about selfie-cams!!! pic.twitter.com/wTkqdbqR2n

— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) April 24, 2019

Sewer districts deal with the so-called fatbergs often. The masses are formed as the wipes collect grease from the drain, and stick together.

While it may seem easier to flush the wipes away, Ken Burgener, laboratory director, at the North Davis Sewer District says the wipes ultimately end up costing taxpayers more money.

“The thing of it is, is it’s going to cost more to treat the waste, if it comes to us,” Burgener said. “And then if it comes down to us, we have to wash the material, and then it goes back to the landfill, after we wash it.”

Burgener said even the so-called biodegradable wipes cause problems too.

“It does not mean that they’re going to break down in eight hours that we have them,” Burgener said. “That’s what we have to treat them.”