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Why does our porta potty smell worse after a rainstorm?

Deb K.asked 0 viewsOdor, Cleaning & ChemicalsOdorDeodorizerHolding tankVent stackWeather

We have a single standard portable toilet on a job site for a crew of five guys. It's been in place for about three weeks on mostly level dirt and gravel. The service truck has no trouble reaching it for the weekly service visit. The unit is fine for the first few days after servicing, but every time we get a decent rain, it starts to stink. It's a distinct, heavy smell, not the usual faint deodorizer scent. I'm wondering if the rainwater is getting into the holding tank somehow and diluting the deodorizer. Or maybe the humidity just makes the existing odors more noticeable. Does rain affect the chemical balance inside the tank? What's the actual cause of the smell getting worse?

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Carl D.Oklahoma City, OK

Rain makes it worse mostly because of the damp, heavy air, not because a lot of water is pouring into the tank. On a dry, breezy day the gases in the holding tank rise out through the vent stack. When a storm sits over the site, that draft slows down and the smell hangs inside the cabin instead.

A few things I check on our sites after a wet week.

Look at the vent cap on the roof. If it's cracked or missing, rain runs straight down the pipe. Ask the driver to swap it on the next visit.

Check that the unit is still sitting level. We had one lean after the dirt softened, the door stopped sealing right, and runoff got in around the base.

Keep the lid down and the door shut. Guys love to prop the door to air it out, but that just pulls wet air in and moves the odor around.

Whatever rain does get in through the vent thins the deodorizer charge, so a rainy week burns through it faster than a dry one. For five guys on weekly service, I'd ask the driver to add an extra dose of chemical on the visit after a storm, or pull the next visit forward if the wet weather hangs around.

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