Macomb's fatberg to be displayed at Michigan Science Center

Bisma Parvez | Detroit Free Press

An enormous pile of goop, grease and garbage was found last year in Macomb County's sewer line.

Now pieces from that large mass of solid waste — dubbed a fatberg — will be displayed at the Michigan Science Center with support from the Healthy Urban Waters program at Wayne State University and the Macomb County Public Works Office.

The new educational display will be be used "as an opportunity to educate the public about the problems — and expenses — that can be created by pouring grease down the drain or flushing down wipes and other materials," Dan Heaton, communications manager at Macomb County Public Works Office, said in a press release.

The original fatberg was 100 feet long, 11 feet wide, 6 feet tall and weighed about 19 tons when it was discovered in a large sewer interceptor in 2018. It cost the county about $100,000 for its removal.

With the help of an $80,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at Wayne State studied the fatberg and are sharing their findings with other sewer system operators.

"The Michigan Science Center display — which is a part of this NSF grant — aims to teach visitors how our community infrastructure can be negatively impacted by these items and provide them with actions they can adopt to mitigate future occurrences of these man-made fatbergs."

The fatberg display and educational centerpiece will be unveiled at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Michigan Science Center, 5020 John R, Detroit.

Speakers include Christian Greer, president and CEO of the Michigan Science Center, Candice Miller, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner, and Carol Miller, professor, and director of the Healthy Urban Water program at Wayne State University.

More: Macomb County's 'fatberg' donated for research at Wayne State University

More: Macomb County removes massive 'fatberg' from pipe, wants you to see it

Contact Bisma Parvez at 313-222-1881 or bparvez@gannett.com Follow her on Twitter @bismapar