The Latest in FOG News

It’s long been known that the place to dispose of fats, oil, and grease for private individuals or small businesses is not down the kitchen sink or other plumbing, whether that plumbing is connected to a sewer system or a septic system. And yet, the issue of FOG (fats, oil, and grease) clogging up wastewater systems remains a worldwide issue. 

For those involved in the wastewater field, the unpleasant reality of FOG buildup and the massive fatbergs it can lead to is part of day-to-day life, and it probably isn’t something anyone wants to spend more time thinking about than necessary. But widely sharing the stories of why FOG pollution is such an issue might be one of the best things we can do to help homeowners and industries to reverse the tide of inappropriate substances flushing into wastewater systems. And, as technology advances, more and more technological solutions for FOG management are being explored!

In this post, we’ve collected links to recent news stories covering FOG challenges in municipal sewer systems, both domestically and internationally. Consider sharing them with people you meet who might not know why they shouldn’t put bacon grease down the drain or flush their wet wipes, and find some hope in the pursuit of technological fixes!

What are fatbergs and why are they a problem?

• Beneath the surface: the rise of fatbergs and the cost of what we flush away | Smart Water Magazine, 3/20/2026
• Burger King worker caught red-handed pouring gallons of grease into storm sewer. How fatbergs cost U.S. taxpayers millions | MoneyWise, 4/28/2026

Recent FOG stories in the United States

• Tyler targets fats, oils, grease as leading cause of sewer backups (video) | KLTV, 5/25/2026
• The price of grease disposal going up for Evansville restaurants | 14 News, 5/4/2026
• Guam Waterworks Authority seeks changes to fat, oil and grease disposal program | Guam Daily Post, 3/6/2026

“Supersized” 2026 fatberg in Sydney

• Supersized fatberg clogging Sydney sewer blamed for mysterious debris balls on beach | Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2/10/2026
• Sydney Water blames food outlets for illegally adding to fatberg. But restaurants say ‘if it’s a problem, it’s their problem’ | The Guardian, 1/26/2026
• Behind this door is the huge fatberg that can’t stop depositing poo balls on Sydney’s beaches | The Guardian, 4/9/2026
• Engineering a solution to Sydney’s fatberg crisis | Engineers Australia, 3/5/2026

Fatbergs in London

• How oil collection keeps London’s kitchens running smoothly | London Post, 6/19/2026
• Alan Carr plunged into crisis as workmen make shocking discovery under his multi-million pound home | The Sun, 4/10/2026
• Heathrow Airport sewer produces 500-metre fatberg | London Now, 3/20/2026
• New 100 tonne fatberg uncovered in Whitechapel, dubbed ‘the grandchild’ of the 2017 fatberg | Water Magazine, 12/23/2025
• The world’s largest city museum is opening in London this year with more than seven million objects on display — featuring Banksy, Roman treasures and the Whitechapel Fatberg | Secret London, 6/18/2026 

Solutions on the rise

• ‘Fatbergs’ are taking over city sewers — scientists are fighting back | BBC, 5/12/2026
• Yorkshire Water completes trials of ‘fatberg’ buster | The Press, 6/3/2026
• Southern Water uses AI to prevent pollution in Hampshire | Hampshire Chronicle, 4/29/2026
• Miami-Dade launches $300,000 search for water tech solutions | Smart Water Magazine, 5/25/2026

Prior coverage of FOG at the WaterOperator.org blog

• FOG in Sewer Systems vs. Septic Systems
• Flushable Wipes: The Bane of the Wastewater Industry
• Fatbergs, the Icebergs of a Wastewater Collection System

Top 2017 Resources from WaterOperator.org's Bi-Weekly Newsletter

2017 was a great year for the WaterOperator.org newsletter team. We not only reached our 200th edition milestone this past fall, but we also were successful in connecting a significant number of water professionals with useful and relevant resources, resources that could be used on-the-spot to solve pressing issues, or help guide utility best practices, or help water decision-makers plan ahead for their communities. 

While many of the events, articles and resources featured in our newsletters garnered interest, here is a list of our most clicked-on resources of 2017.

• A Water Security Handbook: Planning for and Responding to Drinking Water Contamination Threats and Incidents, US EPA This document provides guidelines for utilities to plan for possible contamination incidents, including sampling, public health procedures, and recovery.
• At the Confluence of Nutrients, Pharmaceuticals and Sustainability: Emerging Issues in Wastewater Management, University of Michigan/Central States Water Environment Association  This presentation discusses the effects of emerging contaminants on wastewater treatment and possible solutions.
• Sampling Guidance for Unknown Contaminants in Drinking Water, US EPA This document provides new guidance to first responders and drinking water utility operators on the collection, storage, and testing of potentially contaminated drinking water when the contaminant is unknown.
• Water Conservation Techniques For Small and Medium Water Systems, Florida Rural Water Association This paper provides thorough descriptions of water conservation measures that have been demonstrated to be effective for small water systems.
  
• The State of Public Water in the United States, Food & Water Watch A compilation of water rates of the 500 largest community water systems in the country (the largest water rate survey of its kind in the country). 
• Emergency Disinfection of Small Water Systems, Washington State Department of Health  Emergency, stop-gap measures to get water quickly to the public in a crisis situation. 

Did you use one these resources at your utility this year? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Do you have a favorite "go-to" resource to share? Again, we'd love to know! Our email is info@wateropertor.org , or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.