The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has mandated Sydney Water to address the accumulation of fats at the Malabar wastewater treatment plant, which has recently been linked to the emergence of 'poo balls' that led to beach closures last summer. This directive follows a previous report by Guardian Australia, highlighting the fatberg's massive size, estimated to potentially equal that of four Sydney buses. The sewage treatment facility is facing challenges in accessing the fatberg, complicating efforts for it to be properly assessed and dealt with.

The situation has escalated to a point where addressing the fatberg issue would require the shutdown of a crucial ocean outfall that extends 2.3 kilometers offshore. According to a confidential report cited by Guardian Australia, this maintenance would necessitate diverting sewage flows to an alternative discharge method, a procedure that could result in the prolonged closure of Sydney's beaches for months. The report emphatically states that this method of sewage discharge is no longer deemed acceptable and would represent an unprecedented intervention.

In issuing the pollution reduction program, the EPA emphasized the need for Sydney Water to carry out significant works aimed at mitigating the pollution problem effectively. As a result, Sydney Water faces pressing demands to not only clean up the Malabar plant but also to develop and implement a sustainable solution that will prevent similar issues in the future, thus safeguarding the local marine environment and the health of beachgoers.