Can a porta potty be left in place over a snowy winter?
We're halfway through renovating a small cabin in the mountains and had to pause for winter. The crew left a standard portable toilet on a gravel pad…
2answers
26views
Ray M. replied
Questions tagged “Holding tank”
157 questions across all categories.
157 questions
How do operators dispose of waste in rural areas without a treatment plant nearby?
I run a ranch about 50 miles from the nearest wastewater treatment plant. We have a standard portable toilet for seasonal crews and a deluxe portable…
2answers
36views
Deb K. replied
Why does our porta potty smell like rotten eggs after a week?
We have one standard unit for our six-person crew on a remote ranch. The rental company serviced it last Monday. By Friday, a strong rotten egg smell…
2answers
34views
Kim S. replied
What's inside a flushing portable toilet's tank?
A flushing portable toilet's tank holds a small amount of fresh water for flushing and a separate holding tank for waste, unlike a standard unit…
1answer
32views
Jules T. replied
Hunting camp porta potty: Will bears try to get into the holding tank?
We run a hunting camp on our ranch in Montana, grizzly country. The camp has a crew of eight guys for two weeks, no alcohol, just campfire cooking. I…
2answers
36views
Sam O. replied
Why does our porta potty smell fine Monday but terrible by Friday?
Our crew of 50 uses a cluster of three standard units and one ADA-compliant unit on a commercial site in Phoenix. The rental company does a weekly…
2answers
35views
Deb K. replied
Flushing portable toilet vs. deluxe non-flushing: What's the real difference?
I'm looking at two portable toilet options for a weekend wedding with 120 guests. The rental company offers a deluxe non-flushing unit and a flushing…
2answers
39views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
Can we add our own deodorizer to a rented porta potty?
We have one standard portable toilet for a crew of eight on a residential addition project. The unit is on a gravel pad about 20 feet from where the…
2answers
31views
Hector V. replied
Hunting camp: can a porta potty last a month without service?
I run a hunting camp in the backcountry near Bozeman. Our access road is a 40-mile dirt track, and getting a vacuum truck out here costs a bundle.…
2answers
34views
Lisa G. replied
Why does our porta potty smell worse after a hot day?
We've got a standard portable toilet on our Phoenix job site. It sits in the sun all day and by 2 PM it smells terrible. The crew of 40 guys won't…
2answers
29views
Ray M. replied
Septic replacement: one porta potty for a family of four for two weeks?
Our septic system is failing, so we're getting a full replacement that will take about two weeks. We have a family of four, two adults and two kids…
2answers
32views
Ray M. replied
Winter 2026: will our construction site porta potties freeze solid?
Our site in Chicago has 95 workers on site for a 10-week project through January. We have a cluster of ten standard portable toilets and one…
2answers
30views
Ray M. replied
Service truck access: What's the maximum hose length for pumping a unit?
We have a standard portable toilet on my current residential addition project. The unit is on the far side of the lot, about 60 feet from the curb…
1answer
29views
Deb K. replied
What's the weight of an empty ADA-compliant portable toilet?
I'm renting an ADA-compliant portable toilet for a wedding on a temporary wooden deck. The deck builder wants the weight of an empty unit before he…
1answer
34views
Ray M. replied
Can we add our own deodorizer puck to a rented porta potty?
We have a standard portable toilet on our driveway for a bathroom renovation that's running long. It's just my wife and me using it, but by day five…
1answer
29views
Jake W. replied
Flushing portable toilet mechanism: How does the foot pedal work?
A flushing portable toilet uses a foot pedal to activate a pump that draws fresh water from a tank and sprays it into the bowl. The foot pedal…
2answers
43views
Megan H. replied
Hunting camp porta potty: Will it last 4 months without service?
We have a hunting camp on our ranch, up a 40-mile dirt road. Every weekend from September through December, a crew of six guys uses the camp. The…
2answers
33views
Marcus B. replied
What's the strangest thing you've had to pump out of a unit?
After ten years driving a vacuum truck, I've pulled some strange items out of portable toilets. A full set of car keys from a standard unit on a…
3answers
57views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
Are formaldehyde-free deodorizers as effective in high heat?
We're running 40 guys on a six-month commercial build in Phoenix. The sun bakes our standard units all day, hitting 110°F easy. For years, the rental…
2answers
45views
Ray M. replied
Why does our unit smell like rotten eggs after a hot weekend?
We have a standard portable toilet on our driveway for a bathroom renovation. The rental company serviced it on Thursday, and it was fine Friday…
2answers
35views
Ray M. replied
Our site has a 10% grade. Can a vacuum truck still pump the unit?
We're setting up a standard portable toilet for a small crew of five working on our house remodel for the next month. The only flat spot on our…
1answer
32views
Luis A. replied
Can a standard porta potty handle a hunting season without service?
Our hunting camp sits in the backcountry, 40 miles from the nearest road. From October through March, the only way in is by snowmobile. We have a…
2answers
31views
Ray M. replied
Is Blue Dye Required for Health Code Compliance?
The blue dye in a standard portable toilet is not required by health code. It is an industry practice for odor control and to mask the contents of…
1answer
37views
Hector V. replied
Can a Porta Potty Last a Year at a Remote Cabin?
I have a remote cabin in Montana with no water or power. It's used by hunters and guests maybe 30 nights a year, mostly on weekends. The ground is…
1answer
37views
Ashley M. replied
Can a standard porta potty handle a year at a remote hunting camp?
We run a hunting camp in Montana that gets used a few weekends each season, maybe 8 guys at a time. The ground is uneven and a service truck has to…
2answers
36views
Marcus B. replied