London Sewer Fatberg

A water company in England has removed a huge“fatberg” which was blocking pipes in a London sewer(污水管). The word “fatberg” is used to describe something large, like an iceberg, but that made out of fat. When you pour something down the drain(下水道) in most cities or towns, it goes into a sewer. The collection of things flowing through the sewers is called“sewage”. Most cities have ways of cleaning the dirty water so that clean water can be returned and used again. Thames Water, the company that found the fatberg, says that only“3 Ps” should be put down a toilet: pee, poop, and paper. Big problems can happen when people use a sink or toilet to get rid of things that shouldn't go into the water system.

Alexander Dudfield, speaking for Thames Water, said clearing the blockage was extremely complex. It took a team of specially trained workers over a month to remove the fatberg.

After lowering themselves down into the sewer, the workers had to slowly and carefully break up the fatberg into smaller pieces. When the pieces were small enough, they were sucked out(抽干) through long pipes. Above ground, large machines moved the mess into dumpsters(垃圾车), which were then taken to a landfill.