WEF Highlights

Florida outreach campaign centers around spoof horror-movie trailer The horrors of fatbergs — those accumulations of grease, baby wipes, paper towels, and other trash that combine to block wastewater pipes — are very real for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). JEA, a public utility in Jacksonville, Fla., decided to have a little fun bringing these […]

Queensland Urban Utilities video series asks viewers to only flush the “three Ps” Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU; Brisbane, Australia) doesn’t shy away from trying new ideas to make a difference when it comes to water and garbage disposal. In October, QUU introduced their customers to the Rolls family. The animated toilet-paper rolls are featured in […]

When wastewater treatment professionals noticed an increase in clogged pipes, the City of Carlsbad, Calif., decided to do something about it. City officials released the Wipes Clog Pipes video series to educate the community about the problems wipes can cause for infrastructure. “The goal of our campaign was to inform residents that disposable wipes, even […]

The Dublin (Calif.) San Ramon Services District’s public education messaging has gone mobile. To spread its messages about items not to be flushed down toilets and the value of water, the district has equipped their vehicles with educational signs. The district’s “What Not To Flush” program asks customers to never flush wipes, diapers, or feminine […]

The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) helped spread the message about the causes of pipe clogs by taking to Twitter during the city’s annual Fiesta San Antonio, held each year in April. Using #WipesClogsPipes, SAWS awarded sparkling toilet medals with the slogan “wipes clog pipes,” to daily winners of Twitter “pot” quizzes. — Jeff Gunderson, […]

United Utilities (Warrington, England) produced a music video called “Can’t Flush This.” The parody of M.C. Hammer’s 1990 hit “Can’t Touch This,” communicates the negative consequences of flushing items not intended to go down the toilet. In the video, “MC Plumber” and his two assistants rap in a bathroom and breakdance outside while conveying the […]

To educate ratepayers about wipes and many other products that can cause clogs and harm the environment, the Orange County Sanitation District (Fountain Valley, Calif.) launched its What 2 Flush website. The online resource includes public service announcements, nondispersible-related news, and list of information explaining why certain materials shouldn’t be put down the drain. Materials […]

In 2014, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) launched its Flushing Awesome campaign to raise awareness and deter people in Washington State from flushing nondisperable products such as wipes, tampons, condoms, hair, dental floss, and grease. The campaign featured two cartoon musical videos — a parody on artists Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” […]