'Fatberg' Found in Baltimore Sewer System After Overflow
BALTIMORE (AP) — A massive “fatberg” made up of congealed fat, wet wipes and other waste has been named as the culprit in a sewer overflow in Baltimore.
The overflow discharged about 1.2 million gallons of sewage into the Jones Fall stream last week.
The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that the fatberg was discovered in a sewer main near Baltimore Penn Station.
Public works officials said the walls of a century-old 24-inch wide pipe were caked with oils, grease and congealed fats. Up to 85 percent of the pipe was clogged, blocking the flow of sewage.
The fatberg has been mostly scraped off and sent to a landfill.
A fatberg estimated to weigh more than 140 tons was recently discovered in London’s sewer system. Officials say it could take weeks to destroy.
Related News
From Archive
- Ohio trench collapse kills one worker, injures two during pipe installation
- California invests $590 million to boost water reliability, upgrade sewer systems statewide
- Dominion proposes 186-mile underground HVDC power line across Virginia
- Inside Sempra’s 72-mile pipeline with 18 major trenchless crossings
- Nueces River Authority plans 178-mile pipeline, desalination project for South Texas
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- Massive water line failure leaves majority of Waterbury without service
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Construction jobs stumble into 2026 after weak year
- Worm-like robot burrows underground to cut power line installation costs

Comments