Fatberg

A monster was sighted in Sidmouth
Sixty-four metres wide
Longer than a commercial plane
Too big for the sewer to hide
In the depths of the drainage system
Its bulk caused a blockage that backed up the pipes
Yet the monster continued to grow in size
Because people kept flushing their wipes
And pouring oil down the drain and all manner of things
That helped the behemoth grow in size and strength
Until it was twice as long as a tennis court
A truly remarkable length
It took eight weeks to slay the monster
Using pickaxes, hammers and jets
The body of the beast was converted to fuel
Its bulk now a power source instead of a threat
But whilst there was a greener ending
It’s best not to invite these monsters in
If it’s not biodegradable toilet paper
Then please put it in the bin.

A strange topic for a poem but this is proof that inspiration can be found anywhere.

I reached the ripe old age of thirty-seven without knowing what a fatberg was, until my parents enlightened me.

A quick search revealed a fatberg sixty-four metres long was found in a Sidmouth sewer a few years ago and one even bigger than that was found in a Whitechapel sewer.  Part of this one was put in a museum (for a short time) to educate people about the effects of flushing even flushable wipes and other things like sanitary products down the toilet.

I do admit to being guilty of washing fat down the sink with hot water, but after seeing these monstrosities I will definitely be exploring other options, I don’t want to invite a monster into my drains.

10 thoughts on “Fatberg

  1. Yuck ! Maybe we should visit a sewage plant as part of the school curriculum. I think it would have a profound effect on children with positive results..

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Rae what a unique subject! The title caught my attention immediately, as I had never heard of a fatberg. Thanks for this dash of canny creativity.

    Liked by 1 person

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