NI Water tackles major sewer blockages and fatberg

Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) has had to tackle two major blockages in its sewer system in as many days.

The water company discovered a fatberg on Wednesday (22 August) which was so thick it had risen to the top of a manhole cover.

Then yesterday the company had to contend with several black bags filled with rubbish that had been dumped down a manhole in North Belfast.

It has urged the public not to allow fats, oils and grease (FOG) to enter the sewers and described the rubbish incident as a “lack of respect” for its network and people living in the area.

NI Water said the FOG, which caused the fatberg had built up from local homes and businesses.

Stephanie McCullagh, head of wastewater, said: “While most homes and businesses use grease traps and bin their waste correctly, those that don’t, contributed to a massive fatberg in the sewers around the area.

The company has appealed to its customers, especially food outlets to dispose of FOG appropriately. It warned businesses also risk blocking their own drainage systems, which results in extra costs being incurred in clean-up efforts.

McCullagh added: “As this incident shows, blockages and out of sewer flooding are extremely unpleasant and affects the whole community.”

She said such events happen “regularly at a cost of millions” to NI Water each year.

“In the last 10 years, NI Water has spent over £1.5 billion investing in water and wastewater infrastructure but no amount of investment will completely stop blocked pipes if people continue to flush wipes (including flushable), sanitary items and cotton buds down the toilet,” McCullagh said.

Research carried out by Water UK, published in December, showed 93 per cent of the material causing sewer blockages was made up of wipes, which are not designed to be flushed.

NI Water said despite attending many bad blockages, nothing has been “quite like” what it witnessed in North Belfast yesterday when staff attended reports of out of sewer flooding.

Team members pulled out “numerous” black bags filled with rubbish that had been dumped down a manhole.

McCullagh, said: “This act shows not only lack of respect for our network but also for the people living in the area. We would remind all our customers that opening a manhole and putting anything down it is forbidden.

“By doing this, you are obstructing a working sewer which is designed to take waste away from homes. Incidents like this cause out of sewer flooding and require valuable time and resources to resolve.”