Whole Lotta Drainage going on: a sewerage operative. Image by MT Manta (via Shutterstock).
Some of London’s greatest architectural wonders are almost invisible to the human eye. They are as much a London icon as the Underground and Trafalgar Square. It is the city’s Victorian sewers designed by Joseph Bazalgette. The sewers were built to rid the city of cholera epidemics, as the River Thames was used as an open sewer. As a tribute to Bazalgette’s ingenuity, we have a selection of drainage clips for your delight. Continue reading “In Video: A Selection of Drainage Clips”
A selection of strange things that have been seen in drains
Clean drains are next to godliness. One with a fatberg or a can of lager is the spawn of Satan. Image by Urbazon (via Shutterstock).
In a previous post, we looked at fatbergs. This was in relation to how they blocked our sewers. We said how it was a big problem in our part of the world. Shortly after our piece, we found out about the unusual things that have been seen in drains. This time, the Northumberland Gazette’s latest article has inspired our post.
Here’s a look at the six strangest things to have been seen in our drains.
How Anglian Water’s Draincare partnership will be using floating drones for Grimsby’s sewers
“I don’t care whose it is, It’s floating!” In this case we should. What is there not to like about the use of floating drones to inspect our sewers? Apart from an innovative way of identifying problems, fewer road closures and temporary traffic lights are priceless. Image by NH (via Shutterstock).
Ever been annoyed each time you see a set of temporary traffic lights? On some occasions they could be working on the drains. This job usually requires a degree of manpower and inspecting the sewers could be an arduous and smelly one. In Grimsby, Anglian Water’s Draincare have got a marvellous plan up their sleeve: floating drones.
How is a fatberg formed and why do they cause so much disruption to the sewerage system?
A fatberg is a nasty piece of work. It is the accumulation of fat that has built up inside a sewer. This is caused by the flushing of vegetable and animal fats, sanitary items, and wet wipes. Whereas bog-standard toilet paper can break down, wet wipes and sanitary items cannot. If you flushed a bit of vegetable oil down the sink, it will create an iceberg style clump of fat, floating in the sewer itself. Instead of polar bears, you get rats, the odd cotton bud and the remains of one’s takeaway.
