Revealed: The river of fat that flows beneath Cardiff Bay

THIS is the river of fat running underneath Cardiff Bay which will be removed as part of work costing £2m that is set to disrupt Cardiff’s waterfront for months.

Since its regeneration as a visitor destination, which began in the 1990s, the Victorian sewers of Cardiff Bay, and Mermaid Quay in particular, have struggled with the influx of people – especially with the large numbers of bars and restaurants created on the site, as well as hotels and high-rise flats.

As a result, teams are to set about to remove “a mini fatberg” – caused by an accumulation of fats, oils and grease – from the Victorian brickbuilt network.

As reported in yesterday’s Echo, work on the egg-shaped sewer, which runs under Bute Street and Stuart Street, is scheduled to last until next March and is in response to incidents of internal flooding in the area.

Footage of the fatberg, filmed in June, shows how substances poured down drains have hardened to line the sides of the sewer.

It will be removed as part of a “deep excavation” at Mermaid Quay, between Salt Bar and The Dock pub.

Welsh Water warned there could be issues with “odour” during removal of the blockages.

A bridge was put up over the walkway There will be months of disruption at Mermaid Quay as works to upgrade the sewer system are carried out last year, after part of the brickwork in the sewer was found to have fallen away.

The upheaval will pre-empt a much mooted facelift for the the dockside tourist spot, which turns 20 next year – including its extensive redecoration and the introduction of new paving, lighting, signs and seating.