Trillions of fat-eating bacteria invade town
YORKSHIRE Water is set to use a new biological weapon to flush away Whitby residents’ festive fat.
Over the Christmas period trillions of fat-busting bugs have been deployed in the sewers of Whitby to feast on fat, oils and grease.
Over time these substances build up on the inside of sewer pipes, reducing the flow and causing blockages and Patrick Kilgallon, pollution manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Having your home filled with waste from your toilet and indeed your sink is certainly a very unpleasant experience.
“While we continue to encourage customers to think before they pour things like fat down their sink, we’re also looking at new and innovative approaches to tackling this age-old problem.
“The deployment of fat-busting bugs in our sewer network is an example of this, with these ‘good’ bacteria feasting on solidified fat in our sewer.
“Because these bacteria constantly multiply in the right environment, we can leave them to get on with their job in our sewers, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, without the need for regular dosing.”
This year Yorkshire Water has removed 18,000 blockages from its sewer network, with the total weight of material removed estimated at around 2,000 tonnes.
This is the equivalent of 250 double decker buses or 400 adult elephants.
For more advice on how to dispose of fat and to pick up free goodies to help keep the sewers clean, visit yorkshirewater.com/dirty
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Weather for Whitby
Monday 20 May 2013
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Temperature: 8 C to 13 C
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