Australian utility uncovers largest fatberg on its watch after Bryan Adams show mishap

Just over a month after a fatberg forced officials to pull the plug last minute on a Bryan Adams concert in Perth, Australia, the water utility involved in the incident discovered yet another fatberg just south of the venue, estimated to be the largest in the utility’s history.

Weighing in at about 30,000 kilograms, the massive batch of congealed solid waste was removed from the utility’s wastewater treatment plant in Munster, after workers spent two days breaking down the mass with an excavator, according to the Water Corporation. 

The latest fatberg was discovered during the Water Corporation’s routine preventative maintenance, which spans some 100 wastewater treatment facilities, hundreds of sewer pump stations and about 18,000 km of pipes through Western Australia. 

A spokesperson for the utility appeared on local radio following the fatberg’s discovery to warn that such finds have become increasingly common as the area’s population continues to grow. He noted that the state government spent more than $1 million in 2024 unclogging blockages from sewer networks.

In February, cleanup crews were dispatched to clear a large blockage of fat, grease and rags at properties along the major street near the RAC Arena in Perth. According to a statement by the Water Corporation, the concert by the Canadian rocker was “cancelled due to the risk of sewage backing up within the venue toilets, posing a potential public health risk.”