Workers at Wellington Water's pump stations deal with fatbergs and rag monsters - the nasty consequences of people flushing oil and wet wipes down their drains. More than 30 tonnes of solid mass – dreaded fatbergs and rag monsters – has been cleared from Wellington's wastewater system in the week before a deluge of rain threatened to clog drains. The two common problems clogging New Zealand’s drains are fatbergs – congealed masses of oil and fats that pick up other objects – and rag monsters, clumps of wet wipes and sanitary products that won’t break down naturally. A few years ago Wellington Water only did wastewater cleaning once every year, instead of once every six months. MONIQUE FORD/Stuff Wellington Water workers on Lyall Bay parade with their vacuum truck, which extracts blockages from waste water pipes.

Source: Stuff June 10, 2022 15:22 UTC