Story By: Juan Fenandez Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
This image shows the large “wet wipe monster” that was collected from drainage at a beach in the party island of Ibiza which saw 871,000 Brits over nine months last year alone.
The rubbish was taken out of a drainage system located in the holiday spot of Platja d’en Bossa beach, on the popular island of Ibiza, in the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands.
The beach is a major resort which is known for its clubbing and bar scene on the island and caters primarily to English, German and Italian tourists.
The date the waste was removed is unclear, however, the Ministry of the Environment and Territory reported the news this week (Wednesday).
The picture shows the gross pile-up which is apparently being held by a large machine. It consists of different material but flushed wet wipes are the most notable item to make up the disgusting object.
The Ministry issued a statement with the image saying: “This monster lived in the EDAR (Waste Water Treatment Station) in the Platja d’en Bossa beach. It is in our hands to make sure there is not another one.”
Their statement explained the “wet wipe monster” is caused by an “accumulation of waste” in the drainage system which “oftentimes ends up in the treatment plant.“
Local officials have asked people not to flush used wet wipes down toilets as they can cause damage to water plants, which can be very costly for the city to fix.
Environmental charity Friends of the Earth warned on its pages last year that wet wipe monsters –
also known as fatbergs – are “revolting sewer mountains made of wet wipes, grease and other gunk and have been cropping up all over the place in the past year or so, from London and Cardiff to Staffordshire and Devon”.
They added: “As well as causing trouble in wastewater systems, wipes can find their way into the sea. Along with other types of plastic pollution, they can cause long-term problems for sea creatures and the marine environment.
Wet wipes made up more than 90 percent of the material causing sewer blockages that Water UK investigated in 2017. (https://bit.ly/3j4x1IF)
According to the Ibiza Travel Board, the Spanish island saw 3.54 million tourists travelling by air with 871,000 coming from Britain between the months of January and September in 2019.
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