#fatbergs

[suburbanplumbingexperts]

Preventing Fatbergs: How to Safeguard Your Drains

Fatbergs are a growing concern for municipalities and homeowners alike. These massive clumps of fat, oil, grease, and other waste materials can congeal in sewer systems and cause blockages that lead to costly repairs and environmental damage. As a responsible homeowner, it is crucial to take proactive measures to prevent fatbergs from forming in your drains. This article will provide you with valuable tips and guidelines on how to safeguard your drains and contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

The Dangers of Fatbergs

Before we delve into the preventive measures, let us understand the dangers that fatbergs pose to our drainage systems and the broader ecosystem. Fatbergs not only cause blockages in sewage pipes but also impact the functionality of wastewater treatment facilities. When fatbergs accumulate, they can slow down the flow of wastewater, leading to backups and overflows. This can result in raw sewage entering water bodies, contaminating rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Fatbergs can also have detrimental effects on marine life. As they decompose, they release harmful chemicals and bacteria, creating an imbalance in aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, the cost of removing fatbergs and repairing damaged infrastructure can be exorbitant, ultimately leading to increased utility bills for residents and taxpayers.

Preventive Measures

1. Proper Disposal of Cooking Grease

One of the primary culprits behind fatberg formation is improperly disposed of cooking grease. When hot grease is poured down the drain, it quickly solidifies and attaches to the inner walls of pipes, gradually building up and causing blockages. To prevent this, it is essential to let the cooking grease cool and solidify before disposing of it in the trash. Consider using a dedicated grease disposal container to collect and dispose of the cooled grease safely.

2. Install a Grease Trap

If you frequently cook with oily substances, installing a grease trap can be an effective solution. A grease trap, also known as a grease interceptor, is a specialized device that intercepts and separates grease, oil, and fats from wastewater. It prevents these substances from entering the drainage system, reducing the risk of fatberg formation. Consult a professional plumber to determine the appropriate size and type of grease trap for your household.

3. Avoid Flushing Non-Biodegradable Items

Flushing non-biodegradable items down the toilet or sink can significantly contribute to fatberg formation. Items like wet wipes, sanitary products, cotton balls, cigarette butts, and diapers do not break down easily and can accumulate with grease, oils, and other debris in the sewer system. Dispose of these items in designated garbage bins instead of flushing them down the toilet. Educate family members and houseguests about the importance of proper waste disposal.

4. Regular Drain Maintenance

Performing regular drain maintenance is crucial in preventing fatbergs. Use drain screens or guards to capture hair, food particles, and debris, preventing them from entering the drain. Clean these screens regularly to maintain their efficiency. Additionally, incorporate a routine flushing regimen for your drains by pouring boiling water down the sink or using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to break down any accumulated grease or residue.

5. Be Mindful of Water Usage

Conserving water not only helps to protect the environment but also reduces the risk of fatberg formation. By minimizing the amount of wastewater generated, you can decrease the load on drainage systems and reduce the likelihood of blockages. Simple measures such as fixing leaky faucets, using water-efficient appliances, and adopting water-saving practices in daily activities like showering and dishwashing can make a significant difference.

6. Seek Professional Assistance

If you experience slow drainage, foul odors, or recurring clogs, it is advisable to seek the assistance of professional plumbers. They possess the expertise and tools to diagnose and address any underlying issues in your drainage system. Regular inspections and maintenance by professionals can help identify potential problems before they escalate and contribute to fatberg formation.

7. Spread Awareness

Increasing public awareness about the dangers of fatbergs and the preventive measures can play a vital role in safeguarding drains. Share this knowledge with friends, neighbors, and community groups. Consider organizing awareness campaigns and distributing educational materials to schools and local organizations. By collaborating with others, you can promote responsible waste management practices and ensure a cleaner environment for future generations.

Conclusion

Preventing fatbergs requires a collective effort from homeowners, municipalities, and communities. By following the preventive measures outlined in this article, you can safeguard your drains and contribute to the reduction of fatbergs and the associated environmental hazards. Remember, responsible waste management and regular maintenance are crucial in ensuring the longevity and efficiency of drainage systems. Let us strive together to preserve our environment and protect our drains from the threat of fatbergs.

[foggydayinspace]

... ENHANCE

[evolutionsvoid]

Though the seas can prove dangerous, and many have been lost to its vastness, there is great riches to be gained out there. Be it simply fishing its depths for food, to challenging the mighty leviathans for their incredible stores of blubber and oil. Even then, there is still more to be gained. While water is the primary liquid found in these endless oceans, humors and other fluids can be produced and found. Secreted from countless sea creatures, or perhaps formed by strange phenomenon, one can find congealed globs of it upon the surface, or even entire layers of gunk spreading across the still blueness. Though watered down and degraded compared to the pure stuff found deep in the ancient corpses, only a fool would be so picky to turn down what is found for free. There are collectors and ships who go out to scoop up this bounty, so that it may be taken home and boiled down. It may not be the strongest stuff, but in times of little and need, folk are happy to get anything. And at times, it can be more than simple fluids, as death is very present in these waters.

Corpses of fallen prey or victims to sickness can be found, still clinging to the world above before their inevitable descent. If one is sharp of eye and blessed with luck, they may find these bounties of dead flesh before the ocean claims them and take them as their own. But a handful of belly up fish or a half eaten leviathan is not what these collectors want. They want the mother load: a fatberg. There are many corpses that are created by the cruel sea, and plenty of fluids too. Factor in the currents that move the waters and make this whole world turn, and you can see how things begin to drift and flow together. In certain regions of the ocean, currents crash together and so do the things they carry in tow. Countless corpses converge and mash together in a violent churning sea, and if there is enough, a fatberg may be formed.

A fatberg is a conglomeration of dead flesh and bodily fluids, brought together by the sea. It forms into a single spongy mass, which floats upon the surface due to its great stores of fat and blubber. When they grow big enough, their sheer size allows them to break free from the churning currents that created them, and they begin to drift through the open ocean. Out in the vast expanse of the sea, they will simply drift along, waiting to see what they bump into, be it land, ship, scavengers or even another fatberg. To no one's surprise, the first thing that they usually encounter are hordes of scavengers, lured in by the rotting smell and buffet of rich fat. However, this meal is not always free, for fatbergs can be deceptive things. Their soggy fatty folds can be incredibly soft and sticky, and the piles of rotting flesh can be unstable and heavy. One wrong move can get you bogged down in its blubber, or have a mound of fat collapse atop you. A fair share of scavengers do not escape their dinner, as they become trapped in its sweetly rotted embrace. They will either drown in water logged flesh or be pulled deeper in by their struggles and smothered. In time, their own flesh will join the rest, and the fatberg will grow. As it drifts aimlessly, it swallows more and more, be it loose corpses, floats of congealed humors or even live victims. And if it crashes into another fatberg, the two will merge into an even bigger form.

Its vast stores of fat and free flesh are not lost upon the seafolk, who are whipped into an excited frenzy whenever they spot one on the horizon. Look there! A great bounty of blubber, oil and goods! Ripe for the taking, and free to claim! Who could pass up on such wealth?! So ships will scour the seas for the sight of a fatberg and hurry to plunder its riches. Hooks grab hold and pull it close, and the crew goes at it with scoops and blades. Dribbling fatty slices are carved free and sent to the holds, sponges are soaked with leaking oils and humors then wrung into bottles and buckets. As if the ship itself was a ravenous leviathan, a fatberg will be devoured in no time, as lucky crews hurry to claim as much as they can. And if it is more than they can carry, then they may seek to haul it back with them. Such a bounty of resources turns many to greed, and they guard it fiercely. In a vicious world like this, one must take what they can get and fend off those who would steal it from them.

However, though fatbergs may be a great blessing, there is one thing that will cause any ship to take pause. Something that will bring their harvesting to a screeching halt and paddle away from this wealth as fast as they can. A certain tune that can be heard rumbling through the waters and humming through the very fat they carve. Fatbergs are a bounty of dead flesh, but sometimes they can be something much more. No one knows what causes it, but in rare instances, a fatberg can discover new life. The dripping blubber and soggy flesh can begin to move on its own, and congeal into particular shapes. Some spark deep within awakens, and it becomes a being of its very own. This new entity is often referred to as a Globster by most folk, but those with reverence and fear of the sea call it something else: a Child of Snow.

What else could be this living mound of carcasses and blubber be? Who else would call it their kin? There is no doubt that these beings belong to the Mother of Snow, for they play the same role. A treasure trove of dead flesh, offering itself to the hungry and crumbling into gobs and particles to seed the abyss below. They even drift like her, sluggish and lifeless. But while she lives within the deep, they lurk upon the surface. They do not do much else, just float in the open ocean. And sing.

From their flesh and orifices comes a tune much like the song of the Mother, a peaceful dirge that pulls upon the heart and mind. It is a calming hum that emanates from their flesh, and spreads through air and sea. But unlike their divine Mother, this song does not just beckon to those on the brink. All shall hear their tune and know peace. Those exposed to its sweet music shall feel their woes wash away and their pains fade to nothingness. It is what makes them so holy, and so dangerous. For this tune can be damning in its gentleness, luring in victims like a siren's song. If one is not strong of mind and conviction, they may lose their minds to the pleasure, and fail to control their own actions. Many are drawn in by the comfort and lovely tune, and desire to be closer to this paradise. They throw themselves overboard and thrust themselves into its soft fat. They sink into its smothering embrace, and never return. And so it grows, accidentally feeding upon those they wish to save, drawing in fish, worm and man alike. It is why many ships tear away from these singing fatbergs the moment they hear this tune, knowing it could doom them all.

Though there have been many consumed by their mass, and entire ships lost to their song, there is no malice in these Children. They do not intend to harm, they simply wish to do what they can. They want to spread peace, they want to be like their gentle Mother, but newborns do not fully grasp their abilities and the world around them. They mimic the words they hear, but know not their meaning. They sing the one song they know, but cannot understand the message that resonates deep within...

-----------------------------------------

"Child of Snow"

Yes, I know Mermay is over, but one more! Just one more! I need it! I neeeeeed it!

[penelopepitstopp]

always great to see Fatberg join the game

[lahficclub]

Alexander Horne and the East Ham League

Link for the fic: Alexander Horne and the East Ham League

Author: NotAlexHorne

Relationship: Greg Davies/Alex Horne

Additional tags:

Mark Watson

Frank Skinner

Tim Key

Fatberg | Tim Key's Bear

James Acaster

Kerry Godliman

Sarah Millican

Other Character Tags to Be Added

Genre bending

Detective Noir

Sherlock Holmes pastiche

a touch of poirot

Period-Typical Homophobia

Unreliable Narrator

Case Fic

gratuitous Paul Hollywood slander

third party narrator - Freeform

Complicated Relationships

Crimes & Criminals

look this fic is weird and i have no idea how to tag it

Other Additional Tags to Be Added

sneaky references to bad golf

Prompt:

Prompt: 1920s noir detectives! I'm thinking detective Alex and crime boss/suspect Greg and (not sure what ratings are allowed, please feel free to lower it if you'd be more comfortable!) explicit dom/sub stuff, maybe dub-con or period-typical homophobia unless you want to leave the more sexual/angsty stuff out! Which would be absolutely fine!

Summary:

It's 1926 and Alexander Horne is a London private detective with more expenses than income. After a night of heavy drinking with his flatmate and colleague Mark Watson, Horne is woken early the following morning to find a client at his door: a woman looking for her missing son. It's an impossible case, but with mounting bills and an empty account, Horne hasn't got much of a choice but to take it. But when his investigation takes him too close to matters beyond his comfort, he's forced to make some tough choices.

[crimisin]

I'm sure everyone is holding their breath for a plumbing update so

good news, I once again have a working sink

all it took was 2 guys 4 hours and replacing 20 ft of pipe

[qwertyfingers]

remembered this yesterday. FATBERG, a zine my friend Verity was making for a while. this is the first piece from issue 2.

[shallowtboy]

top 2 everything everything songs about top surgery

[orlofsky]

Normally I’d agree with this kind of decision but actually they should douse this ghoul with as much gross shit as humanly possible

[girlnameddude]

thinking about him.. (the fatberg in the sewer systems)

[69420angrycrabs]

indeed.com filter by jobs i DONT want challenge (impossible)

[majormisunderstanding]

A bad day at work caused by the thoughtless human race.

[nj-stone]

Descend Into the Sewers With London’s Fatberg-Busters @atlasobscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/london-fatberg-sewer-excerpt

[thepixelelf]

svt boyfriend things that would be this 🤏 close to dealbreakers

scoups: would literally rather die than let you win at any kind of game

jeonghan: introduced you as his "bestie" to his parents and thought it was hilarious

joshua: got you banned from the local zoo

jun: showed you a picture of the london sewer fatberg (2013) while you were eating

hoshi: simply atrocious home decor (a certain type of print everywhere...)

wonwoo: pushed back your birthday dinner once because it was the only day all of his gamer friends were free for a session

woozi: can't drive

dk: never acknowledges when you do wrong like STOP smiling at me and supporting me rn I know I messed up bro

mingyu: socially liberal but fiscally conservative

the8: judges your instagram layout if it's ugly

seungkwan: consistently asks your friends and family who they like more, him or you

vernon: won't stop calling toes "grippers"

dino: moonwalks away from arguments

[facts-i-just-made-up]

so everyone knows hamburgers are made of people from hamburg, and that's in Germany, but where the hell is cheeseburg?

It has a slightly different etymology. Cheeseburg is more like "Iceberg." Cheeseburgs can float around anywhere there is a fondue spring or heavy cheese production, but most cheeseburgs float about with something called "fatbergs" in the sewer. Thus, they both come from, and go into cheeseburgers.

Hopefully not often in that order.