It's a game concept that will raise a few eyebrows, but it's sure to be a hit among the kids - and those who like toilet humour.
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Icon Water, an ACT-based public utility company, has just launched its mobile and online game, Free the Poo. Yes, you did read that right. And yes, you do play the game as a smiling piece of faeces, armed with a plunger.
The immersive game sees players head down into the wastewater network to destroy the evil wet wipes that are blocking the pipes, before taking on the fatberg.
As expected, the game has already proven to be a hit with children (and adults), with Icon Water heading to Canberra's Questacon to launch the game, and also teach visitors about wastewater.
The game aims to help increase players' understanding of the wastewater network and the impacts on the systems and the community of flushing wet wipes and putting other unsuitable products down the toilet, drains or sinks.
"The way that it's been designed is that it's easy to play, so any age can play it," Icon Water general manager Davina McCormick says.
"I've had quite a few goes at it already and I'm getting down my time in terms of defeating the final fatberg at the end.
"We have seen through our partnership with Questacon, that kids are really engaging with it and getting very competitive and also collaborating together helping each other while they watch others play."
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Canberra was recently ranked as one of the worst Australian cities regarding total sewer main breaks and chokes per 100km of pipes.
More than 48,000 trees line the streets of our bush capital, and a significant number of blockages occur when wet wipes and other nasties get caught or entangled with tree roots. Wipes also cause all kinds of issues at wastewater treatment plants and personal plumbing, where they have to be manually removed.
"Although it doesn't mean you'd lose the game, we'd rather see the community have a sewer overflow on screen, rather than have the awful experience of having it in real life, and finding out the hard way the damage that was can do to your own plumbing and also to our network," McCormick says.
The game is available at conwater.com.au/game and can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play.