Porta Potty Forum
Log inAsk a question

Painter dumped a bucket of brush rinse water and drywall mud into our job site porta potty. Will the pump truck refuse it?

Brad L.asked 0 viewsDelivery, Placement & ServicingHolding tankServicingConstructionContaminationStandard unit

We're framing and finishing a house addition, crew of about 8, one standard unit out by the dumpster. Friday I caught one of the sub's painters pouring a five gallon bucket of brush rinse into the holding tank. Latex paint water, and I'm pretty sure there was some drywall mud in it too because it's sitting on top in gray clumps. Blue water is now kind of a milky purple.

Service day is Wednesday. Is this something the driver will just pump like normal, or do they refuse to take it and leave a note? I've heard paint and solvents mess up whatever they treat the waste with downstream. Should I call ahead and own up to it, and is there anything I can do before then besides putting a sign on the door? Never had this happen on one of my jobs before.

1 answer

Sorted by votes
0
Owen G.Austin, TX

The vacuum truck driver will refuse to pump that holding tank. Paint and drywall mud clog pumps and contaminate the waste stream, violating the wastewater treatment plant's acceptance rules.

Call your rental company now. Explain exactly what went into the standard unit: latex paint rinse water and drywall compound. The operator may send a separate truck or charge an environmental cleanup fee. Do not try to dilute it or add more deodorizer; that makes the problem worse.

Put a clear sign on the door stating 'OUT OF ORDER - DO NOT USE' and lock it if possible. For your crew of eight, OSHA 1926.51 requires one standard unit, so you need to arrange a replacement until this is resolved. The cost impact depends on the cleanup method and any equipment downtime.

Your answer

Log in or create a free account to answer this question.

Related questions