Metro Vancouver removes 50 tonnes of 'fatbergs' from Richmond, B.C., sewers

Metro Vancouver says workers have cleared approximately 50 tonnes of hardened fat deposits, known as fatbergs, from Richmond's sewers, prompting officials to urge residents not to pour grease down the drain.

Dana Zheng, a program manager with Metro Vancouver, said grease buildup in the area's sewage system has been a recurring issue, but the problem has now reached a critical point.

"This summer was just the breaking point," she told CBC News.

Zheng said the grease accumulated so much over the summer that it broke off in chunks and damaged the district's wastewater treatment plant, costing about $25,000 to repair.

"These fatbergs can really damage our infrastructure and require costly repairs. They can also cause sewer backups where you have raw sewage coming into homes and businesses."

Crews working at the city's Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant have been removing the solidified fat for the last three months or so, and the cleanup has already cost the regional district roughly $1 million, Zheng added.

They've used a number of different tools to remove the mounds of fat, including high-pressure water jets and vacuum trucks.

A photo shared by Metro Vancouver on Xshows workers standing next to huge yellowish-brown chunks of hardened grease.

Zheng says Richmond has been one of the hot spots for fat deposits because of the city's flat terrain, giving grease more time to settle and harden inside the pipes.

Metro Vancouver is asking residents to keep fats, oils, and grease out of the sewer system by disposing of them in their green bins.

"It may not seem like a lot of grease that individually we put down the drain but it adds up over time," Zheng said.

She shared practical tips for residents, like freezing cooking oils before adding them to compost, which can help control odour.

"When frying bacon, the drippings from that [I] usually putin a Tupperware container and put that in my fridge."

Metro Vancouver is also reminding residents of its "Wipe it, Green Bin it" campaign, which aims to educate residents on the environmental and financial impact of improper grease disposal, encouraging everyone to make small changes at home.

The district estimates that it spends around $2.7 million annually to address damage caused by fats, oils, and grease throughout the Metro Vancouver area.