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Rec league season ends Saturday. Do we get the porta potties picked up, or can they sit at the fields all winter with no service?

Toni S.asked 0 viewsDelivery, Placement & ServicingSeasonal rentalService frequencyStandard unitHandwash stationWinter use

I coordinate our town's rec soccer and flag football fields. We've had two standard units and a handwash station out by the parking lot since August, serviced once a week. Last games are this Saturday and nothing is booked on those fields until the spring league starts in March.

A couple of board members want to leave the units parked there all winter and just stop service, so we skip a pickup now and a delivery in spring. Others say that's asking for trouble with freezing, vandalism, and dog walkers off the trail still using them.

Has anyone actually done this? Will a rental company even agree to let units sit unserviced for four months? Should we at least get a final pump out before service stops, and what happens to the handwash station sitting there with water in it once it freezes? I'm leaning toward pickup but want a straight answer before our Tuesday meeting.

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Ray M.Dallas, TX

Get the porta potties picked up. Leaving standard units and a handwash station unserviced all winter invites damage, health hazards and extra charges from your rental company.

A standard portable toilet left unserviced for months will freeze solid if any liquid remains in the holding tank, cracking the tank or the plastic shell. Even if pumped out completely, the residual waste and deodorizer will solidify and become nearly impossible to remove without damaging the unit. Vandalism and unauthorized use are also real risks on an unattended field.

The handwash station is worse. Its fresh water tank and plumbing will freeze and rupture, requiring full replacement. Most rental contracts explicitly prohibit leaving units unserviced for extended periods because of these risks. You would be liable for repair or replacement costs.

Schedule a final service visit for the Monday after your last games. The driver will pump the units completely, leave them clean and dry, and winterize the handwash station by draining all water. Then have them picked up. You avoid damage fees and the spring delivery fee is often lower than the cost of repairing a frozen unit.

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