How Do Porta Potties Work?

May 10, 2021 | Porta Potty

Are you planning a large outdoor gathering? Or are you heading a construction project? In such a case, you will need porta potties. 

Yes, the portable toilets you see at the fair and large festivals. If there aren’t any public restrooms, you don’t want people running around to look for a place to go to the bathroom. 

Porta potties offer convenience. Once the event is over, there’s no need to worry as the porta potty will remove them. 

You may be thinking, “how do porta potties work?” Read this article to learn how they stay clean and what happens to the waste. 

How Do Porta Potties Work

To understand how porta potties work, we need to go over their design. Most porta potties have a body that consists of lightweight sheet-like polyethylene. This material forms the actual toilet.  

The roof is translucent. There are vents on the roof or the side of the porta potty. Inside there is a non-splash urinal with its own toilet seat.

You’ll also find a holding tank. This tank normally has a 60-gallon capacity. It will be a while before there’s a need to replace the porta potty. 

Some porta potties have a built-in flushing mechanism and pressure system. These components help to move the water and chemicals around. This system functions as a regular toilet. 

Keep in mind that porta potties don’t have a connection to a plumbing or sewage system. They hold the waste until the company can take them away. 

How Do Porta Potties Stay Clean

Some people don’t like to use porta potties because they view them as unclean. The companies that rent out porta potties take every step to make sure they are as sanitized as possible. 

A formula of different chemicals goes into the porta potty. These chemicals often include water, fragrance, and surfactants. Most have a blue dye that gives them that familiar blue liquid. 

These chemicals serve as a deodorizer. They contain disinfectant properties that help to fight off those foul smells. 

Most modern porta potties contain biocides and enzymes. These microbes feed on bacteria found in human waste.

On top of eating the bacteria that cause odor, the microbes help to decompose the organic matter faster. This process makes it easier to dispose of the waste later on. 

How are Porta Potties Emptied

Now you may be asking, “Where does the waste go in a porta potty?” Because the porta potties are self-containing, the waste needs to be removed. 

The company that you rent the porta potties from will service them. They will provide you with a service schedule. A team of dedicated professionals will take care of this. 

You can expect them to come weekly. At most, a porta potty must be serviced after 100 uses, so if there is a lot of activity, the team may come more often. 

The team drives a truck with a vacuum. They attach the vacuum directly to the holding tank. Then, it sucks up the waste into the truck that has a waste storage unit. 

The truck also has a freshwater tank. After removing all the waste, the team will fill up the holding tank in the porta potty with fresh water. They will then proceed to add all the chemicals to help sanitize it. 

The team will even refill all the necessary supplies. These include paper towels and toilet paper. The truck will transport the waste to a municipal treatment plant for disposal.

There’s no need to worry about unsafe disposal practices. The company takes it to an authorized sanitation cleaning facility. The waste will undergo a safe and effective treatment process. 

Factors to Consider When Renting a Porta Potty

So now that you know how porta potties work, you have to consider several factors before you go ahead and rent one. First, consider the type of event or project you’re going to hold. This will give you an idea of the type of porta potty you’ll want to rent. 

There’s the regular porta potty that you often see at construction sites. This option is great for private gatherings and special occasions.

If you want to go all out, there’s the deluxe option that comes with a sink. This is a great all-in-one option. Handicap-accessible porta potties are also available.  

You must also consider the number of people at the event, as well as the location of the event. If you’re going to have a large event, there should be one porta potty for every 40 to 60 people. For a construction site, it’s best to have one porta potty for every 20 workers. 

The more area your event will cover, the more units you’ll need. Do keep in mind that the location of your event or construction site will affect the total rental costs. 

Another factor to consider is the maintenance of the units you rent out. The length of the event or the construction project will determine how much maintenance the company will need to provide.

Do make sure to confirm this information with the company to make sure that all your needs are met. 

Time to Rent the Porta Potties

If you wanted to know how do porta potties work, this article gave you all the information you needed to know. Porta potties are great for large events and construction sites. 

You don’t have to worry about these units as the company will service them. They will also remove the waste and bring in new units. 

Please contact us if you want to ask for a quote to rent our porta potties. 

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