Titanic ‘fatberg’ of congealed waste clogs Baltimore sewer

BALTIMORE – A gigantic glob of congealed fat, wet wipes and other waste — deemed a “fatberg” because of its iceberg-like size — has been blamed for a sewer overflow in Baltimore.

The overflow discharged about 1.2 million gallons of sewage into the Jones Falls waterway last week.

The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that the fatberg was discovered in a sewer main near Baltimore Penn Station.

Public works officials said the walls of a century-old 24-inch wide pipe were caked with oils, grease and congealed fats. Up to 85 per cent of the pipe was clogged, blocking the flow of sewage.

The fatberg has been mostly scraped off and sent to a landfill.

A fatberg estimated to weigh more than 140 tons was recently discovered in London’s sewer system. Officials say it could take weeks to be destroyed.

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This story has been corrected to show that the Baltimore Sun reported on the story Monday, not Tuesday.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com