Fatberg cleared from Gosport sewer with the help of Southern Water's AI sensors

A “nasty” fatberg has been tackled in Gosport with the help of AI sensors.

Southern Water were able to send teams out to the blockage in Rowner before the manhole overflowed into a surface water drain which leads into the River Alver. The blockage was identified with the help of a network of around 34,000 sewer lever monitors which enable the utility company to check on flows and spot anything untoward.

Once alerted, teams inspected the sewer pipe and found what it described as a “nasty” fatberg made up of wet wipes and other un-flushable items. It was subsequently cleared using a jet.

Daniel McElhinney, Proactive Operations Control Manager at Southern Water, said: “The sensors measure the level of sewage flowing under manholes in blockage hotspots, but the real innovation is how machine learning or artificial intelligence learns the normal behaviour of sewers and can tell the difference between morning and evening rushes, rain in the system and a blockage forming.

“Instead of turning up after the event to clean up and commiserate with devastated customers we’re spotting hundreds of potential blockages before it’s too late so our teams can scramble round with high pressure water jets to clear the sewer.”

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The utility company said that single biggest cause of pollution incidents is from blocked sewers which can lead to streams and gardens filling with sewage or backing up and pouring into sinks, showers and loos.

The average suburban sewer is only the diameter of an orange or a tennis ball meaning that blockages can occur quickly with items such as cooking fat, sanitary products, wet wipes and ear cleaning sticks combining to create a fatberg.

Across the region, Southern Water states its AI enabled digital sewer system has led to more than 4,000 interventions in the past year.

While Southern Water has found innovative ways to identify blockages, it was criticised by the Environment Agency after more than 730 of its wastewater assets were inspected. Widespread problems such as poorly maintained screens and inadequate management of storm tanks was highlighted

The water company was given over 400 actions to take to comply with Environment Agency permits. Of the Southern Water sites investigated, 68 per cent were found to be compliant with their permits. Southern Water insisted that most of the required actions are minor breaches, and pointed towards improvements in the number of pollution incidents and drinking water quality.

A paddle out protest is taking place in Lee-on-the-Solent on May 16 arranged by Surfers Against Sewage to campaign against sewage releases into rivers and seas.