Responsible Flushing Alliance Solves 'Toilet Crimes' at VidCon Anaheim

ANAHEIM, CA —(BUSINESS WIRE)— Teeing up the annual observance of Flush Smart Month starting July 1, the Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) is spreading the word on the importance of smart flushing habits in a novel way at VidCon Anaheim 2024. From June 26-29, thousands of content creators flock to the city’s convention center for four days of creativity and content creation. RFA has joined the mix to catch creators’ attention and raise awareness with a new activation as part of its #FlushSmart campaign aimed at resonating with attendees and their viewers.

RFA kicked off its interactive activation yesterday, inviting VidCon attendees to participate in solving the "crimes" of flushing. The booth presents a film-noir inspired bathroom crime scene, where Detective Vincent Drains and his very surprising partner—a singing and talking toilet named Mel—kick off the investigation to uncover the city’s elusive underboss known as the Clog Monster. This sinister figure has been manipulating misguided citizens to flush dangerous items, threatening to overflow the city’s plumbing system and overrun the city with floods and filth. By finding hidden clues and messages, participants will help solve this costly crime.

Creative Approach

“Creators and fans at VidCon are surprised to see a detective and singing toilet solving crimes of flushing,” said Lara Wyss, President of the Responsible Flushing Alliance. “RFA is always looking for creative ways to ensure people look for the ‘Do Not Flush’ symbol on wipes packaging and we are using this immersive experience and social media engagements to inspire attendees.”

With its captivating, out-of-the-box PSA at VidCon, RFA is showcasing its creative approach to spreading an important message to a key audience: members of Generation Alpha and Z. These media-savvy consumers of video content are the future of our country, and they deserve to have awareness and agency now in how their infrastructure will serve them tomorrow. Responsible flushing habits are vital in preserving wastewater infrastructure and supporting healthy communities well into the future.

A $440 Million Problem

On average, it costs about $300 to $450 to fix home plumbing clogs. If the repair requires a whole house re-pipe, the average costs can range from $4,000 to $15,000. For municipalities and wastewater treatment facilities, the costs to fix sewage issues caused by careless flushers in the community are much greater and add up fast. Estimates show that local public agencies throughout the US (and the ratepayers they represent) spend more than $440 million each year to respond to sewer overflows and repair equipment damage caused by improper flushing of non-flushable wet wipes.