A blockage estimated at approximately 100 tonnes has been successfully removed from a sewer in west London.

Thames Water reported that a specialized team dedicated over a month to dismantling the so-called “fatberg,” which was located more than 10 meters (32 feet) underground in Feltham.

This substantial mass was equivalent in weight to eight double-decker buses and was predominantly composed of wet wipes bonded together by fat, oil, and grease.

The waste was then lifted into containers and sent to a landfill, as stated by the utility company.

To access the sewer, the team utilized a large manhole chamber fitted with gas monitors for safety. They then employed blasting, chiseling, and suction techniques to clear the blockage from 125 meters (410 feet) of piping.

Alexander Dudfield, the engagement lead for network protection at Thames Water, remarked: “The removal of this fatberg posed significant challenges for our engineering team and highlights the difficulties we encounter.

“While some blockages in our major sewers can weigh as much as 25 elephants, it’s important to remember that most incidents occur in local pipes, which are often narrower than a mobile phone and typically result from just a few households.

“When these pipes become obstructed, we cannot simply turn off the sewage flow. It backs up and must escape somewhere, whether it be on roads, in rivers, or even in people’s homes, with potentially devastating results.”

This incident follows a recent collaborative effort by the Port of London Authority, the local environmental organization Thames21, and Thames Water to remove a buildup of wet wipes that had compacted into sludge along the curve of the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge in west London.

Thames Water continues to urge the public to refrain from flushing wet wipes and anything other than toilet paper.

Wet wipes are frequently the culprits behind blockages within Thames Water’s sewer system, with the company stating that it resolves approximately 75,000 blockages each year, many attributed to wipes, at an annual cost of £18 million for clearing about 3.8 million of these obstructions.

So far this year, Thames Water has reported clearing 28,899 rag-related blockages mostly consisting of wet wipes, 14,810 fat, oil, and grease-related blockages, as well as 686 third-party blockages, which include concrete and other materials causing sewer obstruction.