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Macomb County's 'fatberg' donated for research at Wayne State University

Christina Hall
Detroit Free Press

Remember that super gross, ginormous pile of goop — called a fatberg — that Macomb County found in a large sewer line in September?

It's going under the microscope at Wayne State University, and may even make its way to the Michigan Science Center in Detroit for display.

A fatberg — a giant wad of fats, oils and greases that gets bound up with wipes and other solids — can restrict flow and damage sewer lines by increasing the volume of sewer gas in the line, county public works officials said.

The Macomb County Public Works Office has broken up and removed a giant fatberg from the county’s sewer system.

The 100-foot-long, 11-foot-wide fatberg was 6-feet tall and weighed about 19 tons when it was discovered in a large sewer interceptor in Clinton Township. It was removed from the line, with two pieces set aside that are being turned over to the university for research.

“Although FOG blockages have been known for many years, our understanding of their detailed chemical structure and formation mechanisms is lacking due to limited real-time and in-place data,” Carol Miller, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of Healthy Urban Waters at Wayne State University, said in an article Tuesday posted under the Division of Research on the university's website.

“The formation and planned removal of such a massive FOG blockage presents a rare opportunity to study these formations, and funding received from the National Science Foundation will help our efforts in this regard," said Miller, who is not related to Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller.

The $80,000 grant from the National Science Foundation is to use real-time video, pressure data and advanced chemical analysis to advance the understanding of the physical and chemical structure of such blockages, according to the article. It stated that results will be used to identify potential risks associated with blockages and inform future targeted prevention and mitigation efforts.

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“This fatberg is somehow morbidly interesting, which gives us a chance to use it as a teachable moment,” Candice Miller said in the article. “This study can continue the effort to educate the public on simple but important steps they can take to protect our infrastructure and, ultimately, our environment.”

Public works officials said workers used high-pressure jets of water to try to break apart the fatberg after it was discovered. Then, they used handsaws and shovels to bust it up before it was sucked up into a vactor truck and disposed of. The county allocated about $100,000 for its removal.

The university is collaborating with the Michigan Science Center to increase awareness and understanding of the impacts of sewer backups by creating an educational centerpiece for the museum about these types of blockages and actions people can take to mitigate them, according to the article, which was shared by the public works office Wednesday. The project may be unveiled later this year.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.