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Foul fatbergs on the rise in Perth's sewers as wrong waste flushed

Foul fatbergs on the rise in Perth's sewers as wrong waste flushed

Sewer blockages caused by mounds of grease, oils and wet wipes called fatbergs have exploded in frequency in Perth, as authorities try to stop people putting foreign objects down sinks and toilets.
WA's Water Corporation says it responded to 1,329 preventable wastewater blockages in the 2023-24 financial year — a significant increase on previous years.
It says most of those issues were caused by fats, oils and grease poured down kitchen sinks.
But almost 400 of those blockages were caused by people flushing items like wet wipes, paper towels, cotton buds and sanitary products.
Fatbergs are congealed masses of oils, grease and sanitary items that bind together in the sewer system — costing WA taxpayers at least $1 million every year to unclog.
"Fatbergs are solid, foul-smelling masses that clog pipes, damage pumps and trigger wastewater spills," Water Minister Don Punch said.
"It is a stark and very public reminder of what happens when we do not dispose of waste properly."
Water Corp crews need to regularly carry out 'de-ragging' of their wastewater systems, where solid materials like rags and wipes are manually removed from pump stations.
"It is dirty, difficult work — entirely avoidable," said Mr Punch.
"I thank the people who are involved in that because someone has to do it and it is not the easiest of jobs to do, but they are doing a service to us all."
Earlier this year, a massive fatberg forced the cancellation of US singer Bryan Adams's concert at Perth Arena.
The blockage could not be cleared before the concert was due to go ahead and the decision was made to cancel it due to the public health risk.
In March, the biggest fatberg ever found in WA was hauled from a sewer in Perth's south.
It weighed 30 tonnes and took workers two days to carve it up with an excavator.
A new coating for pipes being trialled in Melbourne has been shown to reduce the formation of fatbergs by up to 30 per cent.
Mr Punch said it was a simple ask — think before you flush.
The message from authorities is only three things go in the toilet — "pee, poo and toilet paper".
"When it comes to cooking, let fats and oils cool before scraping them into a jar or a bin — do not put them down the sink," he said.
"Those small actions make a big difference. It is a shared responsibility."
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