After gaining 10,000 supporters in just 26 days, but not being approved in the LEGO Ideas Third 2022 Review, the Sewer Heroes are returning for a second attempt at becoming an official LEGO set.

Turning the spotlight on water & wastewater

Millions of professionals around the world are involved in designing, constructing, operating, managing and maintaining our cities' crucial water & wastewater infrastructure - keeping the water cycle running smoothly at all times. However, despite their essential contributions to society, the people working in the water & wastewater industry in hundreds of different types of indispensable jobs usually remain invisible to the public, not getting the amount of recognition they deserve - both in real life and in LEGO cities.

"Sewer Heroes: Fighting the Fatberg - Overtime" turns the spotlight on the urban underground in a way never seen before in LEGO form - bringing into focus one of the biggest problems of our sewer systems infrastructure: the infamous fatberg.

Used cooking grease, food, wet wipes and lots of other rubbish that does not belong in the sewer system is a huge problem, which both private households and commercial kitchens contribute to. Using drains and toilets as rubbish bins causes sewer blockages, plastic pollution in the sewage and other issues which are a serious threat to our wastewater infrastructure and the environment.

Over time fat, oil & grease (FOG) and all kinds of rubbish accumulates in pipes and sewers, starting to form big lumps that eventually develop into fatbergs. While getting bigger and bigger, a fatberg clogs the sewage flow more and more, which can result in flooded streets and pollution of the environment even before the sewer gets blocked completely.

Exploring the urban underground

Aimed at educating children and adults about what’s going on beneath cities' streets, this 360-degree underground cutaway display & play set is starring the dauntless members of a fatberg removal team at work: Recently a big fatberg had been discovered in the main sewer nearby the mixed-use residential/commercial building with the "Burgers & Fries" restaurant on the ground floor and residential units above. Now the "Sewer Heroes" have been called to take care of this indelicate situation before it's too late.

In the model's front section LEGO fans accompany the sewer workers on their tough mission, learning some things about the challenges of the profession and helping them to fight the fatberg to unblock the sewer.

Meanwhile, turning the set around enables kids and adults to backtrack the stream of FOG and other "unflushables" to their (possible) entry points at the back of the model - raising awareness of the direct connection between the sewer blockage at the front and the problematic things that are being flushed down the house's wastewater pipes shown at the back of the set. However, it will take further investigations to find out which connected house(s) all the FOG (fat, oil & grease) and rubbish that resulted in the formation of the fatberg really came from.

The model

The type of sewer depicted in the model is a "combined sewer" where the system of pipes & tunnels is used to transport sewage and urban run-off together to a sewage treatment plant. Nowadays, this gravity sewer design can be found primarily in older cities.

In contrast, modern separate sewer systems transport rain water and sanitary sewage separately, with only the latter being carried to a wastewater treatment facility. Walkable sewers as shown by the model are rare overall - but they provide the best play & display value for a LEGO set. The best-known sewerage systems of this kind can for instance be found in big European cities like Berlin, Paris, London or Vienna.

Features of the model include:

• The 360-degree cutaway build reveals the urban underground in a unique way never seen before in LEGO form
• Accompany the sewer workers fighting the fatberg to unblock the sewer, and learn something about their challenging profession
• The detailed walkable sewer can be accessed through the (functioning) manhole in the street
• Drive the jet/vac truck & operate its high-pressure water jetting & vacuum equipment to help tackle the fatberg
• Backtrack the stream of FOG (fat, oil & grease) and other "unflushables" to their (possible) entry points at the back of the model
• The mixed-use residential/commercial building features a "Burgers & Fries" restaurant with a kitchen on the ground floor and a residential unit with a kitchen and a bathroom above

The figures include:

• Sewer Heroes: The Boss (always puts on his serious face when it comes to blockages)
• Sewer Heroes: Jet/vac truck operator (would have loved to have this LEGO model when she was a kid)
• Sewer Heroes: Veteran sewer worker (has seen everything in the sewers. Everything!)
• Sewer Heroes: Apprentice sewer worker (is still wondering whether her veteran coworker has actually seen everything in the sewers)

Click here for more information about Lego Ideas and to register your support for Sewer Heroes