Bin It, Don't Flush It: Reading festival goers urged to think before they flush

Festivalgoers heading to Reading this weekend are being urged to only flush toilet paper and human waste down festival toilets to help keep facilities available throughout the event.  

Thames Water teams will be working around the clock in the lead up to and throughout the festival to ensure the festival tanker operation runs smoothly to help ensure visitors can enjoy the event without the disruption caused by full toilets. 

Last year approximately 1.2 million litres of wastewater were transported by tankers to Reading Sewage Treatment Works. That's enough to fill nearly half an Olympic-sized swimming pool and enough to fill 500 tanker vehicles.  
 
To manage the significant amount of waste generated during the event, the company deploys a specialist screening unit on site. The equipment filters festival waste before it enters the treatment process and helps protect the sewage treatment works from unnecessary blockages and damage.  

Despite repeated warnings, teams continue to find a range of inappropriate items flushed down festival toilets every year, including wet wipes, condoms, sanitary products to clothes, tents, and even camping chairs. These items can cause serious operational issues, leading to blockages, equipment damage and toilets being taken out of service.  

All waste collected from the festival is processed through an on-site cess waste logger, which measures volumes before it enters the treatment process alongside wastewater arriving through the local sewer network. 

Director of Waste and Bioresources at Thames Water, Tessa Fayers, said:  

"Reading Festival is one of the highlights of the summer, and behind the scenes our teams are working around the clock, 24 hours a day, throughout the weekend to keep toilets operating smoothly for the thousands of people enjoying the event. 

"The message is simple: only flush the three Ps, Pee, Poo and (toilet) Paper. Items such as wet wipes, condoms, clothing, tents, and camping equipment don't belong in the system and can quickly cause blockages that put toilet facilities out of action across the site. 

"A blocked toilet is the last thing anyone wants during a festival weekend. By using the bins provided and only flushing the three Ps, festivalgoers can help us keep everything flowing, avoid unnecessary disruptions, and spend more time enjoying the music rather than queuing for out-of-order toilets."  

The following items should always be put in the bin:  

• All sanitary products including tampons and pads 

• All wet wipes (including those labelled bio-degradable or flushable can cause problems in the sewage treatment works) 

• Condoms  

• Underwear  

• Cotton buds and pads  

• Q tips 

• Tissues that are not toilet paper 

• Food waste 

• Nappies  

• Plasters and bandages 

• Cigarette butts 

• Medication  

• Foil blankets 
• Rubbish  

Thames Water will monitor the sewage treatment works performance throughout the festival to ensure any issues impacting the tanker operation are dealt with quickly.