A 100-tonne “fatberg” has been discovered in a sewer beneath Whitechapel, East London, highlighting once again the severe consequences of fats, oils and grease (FOG) entering the wastewater network — particularly during the busy Christmas period.
The enormous blockage, stretching almost 100 metres, is made up of congealed cooking fats, oils, grease and non-flushable items such as wipes. It has been described as the “grandchild” of the infamous 2017 Whitechapel fatberg, which weighed an estimated 130 tonnes and later had samples displayed at the Museum of London.
A Growing and Costly Problem
According to Thames Water, fats, oils and grease are responsible for over 20,000 sewer blockages every year, accounting for 28% of all blockages across its network. The issue worsens significantly during December and January, when festive cooking leads to increased disposal of gravy, oils, cream and food waste down sinks.
Clearing blockages over the winter period alone costs more than £2 million, while the wider annual cost of repairing damage caused by FOG runs into tens of millions of pounds — costs that ultimately impact customers, businesses and the environment.
Tim Davies, Head of Waste Operations for North London at Thames Water, warned that removal of the Whitechapel fatberg could take weeks, adding that fats and wipes “don’t disappear — they build up and cause serious damage.”
Why Fatbergs Matter to Businesses
Fatbergs are not just an inconvenience for water companies. They are:
The leading cause of internal flooding in homes and commercial premises
A major contributor to sewer pollution incidents
A serious risk for restaurants, hotels and foodservice operators who may face blockages, downtime, call-outs and compliance failures
For commercial kitchens, unmanaged FOG can quickly accumulate inside pipework, leading to expensive emergency interventions and reputational damage.
Prevention Is Simple — and Essential
Water companies continue to urge the public and businesses to adopt best practice, including:
Scraping food waste into bins or food waste caddies
Never pouring fats, oils, gravy or creamy liquids down sinks
Using strainers to prevent solids entering drains
However, for commercial foodservice environments, education alone is not enough.
The Role of Grease Management Solutions
At EPAS Ltd, we see incidents like the Whitechapel fatberg as clear evidence of why proactive grease management is essential. Our GreaseShield® automatic grease recovery system is designed to prevent fatbergs at source by removing fats, oils and grease from wastewater before they can enter pipework and public sewers. Installed directly within commercial kitchen drainage lines, GreaseShield operates continuously with no moving parts, no energy consumption and no replacement filters, providing a reliable, low-maintenance safeguard. By capturing FOG before it cools and solidifies downstream, GreaseShield helps foodservice operators protect their premises, avoid costly blockages and call-outs, and actively reduce the environmental and infrastructure damage caused by fatbergs.
A Seasonal Warning with Year-Round Implications
As Christmas approaches, this Whitechapel fatberg serves as a timely reminder: what goes down the drain doesn’t disappear. It accumulates — often with damaging and expensive consequences.
Preventing fatbergs protects businesses, infrastructure and the environment. And it starts with keeping fats, oils and grease out of the drain.
To find out more about how GreaseShield® can help your business click here
