By Press Release
Southern Water’s ‘Unflushables’ team has been presented with an unusual award – a mounted fatberg cast in resin by the Island’s own National Poo Museum.
The gift was handed over during a recent customer drop-in event, where the team was raising awareness about sewer blockages caused by fats, oils, and non-biodegradable items like wet wipes. A fatberg is a solid mass that forms in sewers, made from congealed grease and materials that shouldn’t be flushed. Southern Water previously donated two fatbergs to the Poo Museum, which fascinated visitors.
Dan Roberts, the museum’s curator, explained: “The ‘Unflushables’ team asked us to cast another piece in resin for their roadshows, but while it was drying, mice got in and ate it, so, instead, we shared one of our own exhibits.” The museum is now preparing to go mobile, with its first touring exhibition planned for Department, in Ryde in early July.
Tim Eaton, from Southern Water’s blockages team, said: “We’ll be taking the fatberg on tour to show the public what happens when fats and wipes are put down the drain. Our job is to lift manhole covers, check for blockages and help people understand how to avoid them.” Southern Water cleared around 30,000 blockages last year, two-thirds of which were preventable.
The company urges residents to allow cooking fats to cool before binning them, and never to flush wipes or pour oil down the sink.
