Porta Potty Forum

Narrow driveway: Will the service truck still be able to pump our porta potty?

Sam O.asked 0 viewsDelivery, Placement & ServicingTruck accessPlacementMissed serviceService visit

We're gutting our only bathroom and have a standard portable toilet on our driveway for the next six weeks. The driveway is narrow, maybe 10 feet wide, and slopes down from the street. The unit is about 25 feet in from the curb. I'm worried the service truck won't be able to get close enough to pump it each week. What does the driver need for access? Do they have a long hose, or does the truck need to be right next to the unit? Should we move it closer to the street, even if that means it's on the sidewalk side?

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Jake W.Denver, CO

Yes, a vacuum truck can usually pump a unit 25 feet in on a 10-foot driveway without parking right next to it. Drivers run a suction hose from the truck, so the truck stays on the street or at the curb while they walk the hose down to the unit. Twenty-five feet is well within normal hose reach for a weekly service visit.

What matters more than driveway width is clear truck access at the curb. The driver needs a legal spot to stop, space to open the hose reel, and a path that is not blocked by cars, dumpsters, or low branches. A 10-foot driveway is tight for backing a full truck all the way in, so most drivers will not try. They park at the street and hose it from there.

I would leave the standard unit where it is if the hose path stays open. Moving it onto the sidewalk side can create permit and neighbor issues, and you only need that if the driver cannot reach the current spot. Before the next service day, clear any cars from the curb and call the rental office so the driver knows the layout. If they miss a pump because they cannot reach the tank, you get odor and a full holding tank fast on a six-week remodel.

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