High-rise unit on the 15th floor: what's the service plan?

The service plan for a high-rise unit involves a portable transfer tank. A crew will pump the waste from the unit into a smaller, sealed portable tank on the floor, then transport that tank to ground level via the construction elevator for the vacuum truck to empty.

A standard unit on the 15th floor is correct for your crew size. OSHA 1926.51 requires one toilet for 20 or fewer workers, so your 15-person crew meets the minimum. The unit will need service more often than weekly. A standard unit's holding tank for 15 men on a full workday will fill faster than a typical ground-level site. Expect service two to three times a week, depending on exact use. Heat in Phoenix accelerates bacterial activity and odor, which also calls for more frequent service visits and deodorizer recharges.

The rental company's price for this job will be higher than a standard ground placement. The extra cost covers the crane delivery, the labor for the multi-step pumping process, and the increased service frequency. They build the service plan into the contract, so confirm the scheduled days with them.

Deb missed the actual pumping equipment: a high-rise service uses a submersible pump that fits inside the standard unit's holding tank, connected to a temporary discharge hose run down a dedicated waste chute or the service elevator shaft to the vacuum truck on the ground. This avoids a transfer tank on the floor. The service frequency is not just about the crew count; for a high-rise unit, you schedule service based on tank capacity. A standard unit's holding tank for 15 men will need pumping about every three to four workdays in Phoenix heat, which means a set weekly schedule isn't enough. The contract must specify the pumping days and who secures access to the waste chute.