Second fatberg washed up in Galway, posing threat to pets and wildlife

The fatbergs are thought to have been dumped from a cruise or cargo ship.

A second fatberg has been washed up on a Galway beach in as many weeks, sparking concerns for the local environment.

The most recent fatberg was found by Cáit Goaley while walking on Ballyconneely in West Connemara, and is estimated to be about 2ft long, 1ft high and 1ft deep.

The previous fatberg was found on Silverstrand in Galway, and believed to have been mainly made up of palm oil due to its “putrid diesel smell”.

Fatbergs are rock-like mounds of waste matter usually found in the sewer system, formed when oil, grease and fat poured down drains is combined with non-biodegradable solids such as wet wipes, nappies and cotton buds. As the name suggests, they’re technically hard blobs of fat.

The mounds pose a risk to the local area and animals in particular on two fronts – the oil could lodge in an animals throat upon ingestion, or contact poisoning could occur as fatbergs are often covered in a deadly layer of bacteria. Dog owners are advised to keep their pets on leads while walking in the area.

Fatbergs can also cause significant damage to sewage systems – in 2016, fatbergs “the size of boulders” were discovered in the sewer in Galway city, resulting in “serious odour issues and overflows across the network, with some sewers blocked and leading to water quality failures”. Fatbergs continue to grow and expand as they collect more inorganic matter, and can take months to be broken down.

Header image via Cáit Goaley

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