Containing human waste is always an essential issue for the health of people in the area. Human excreta is a toxic substance with plenty of harmful bacteria. Luckily, in places where the sewage system and septic tanks are unavailable, a portable toilet helps avoid polluting the environment with biohazardous human waste.
However, all portable toilets require cleaning every once in a while. If you want to know, how to dispose of human waste from portable toilets properly, continue reading this article.
How Do Portable Toilets Work?
To understand how to clean portable toilet waste correctly, you should first learn about the type and structure of your porta-potty.
The key factor in those toilets being “portable” is their lack of connection to any sewer line or a septic tank. This is highly beneficial for areas that lack plumbing.
A portable toilet is also nothing like a pit latrine because there are no holes in the ground that collect the porta-potty waste.
This, in turn, means it is up to you to properly dispose of the waste from the portable toilet and get it to the septic system.
In general, most portable toilets are similar in design.
Usually made from polyethylene plastic and fiberglass, they come with a toilet seat that is connected to a container for holding waste.
Of course, humanity has come a long way from simply using a bucket to collect excretes. Portable toilets used to be a major source of filth and nasty odors which would persist even after thorough cleaning.
Nowadays most portable toilets contain the smell and the hazardous human feces with things like chemicals, special liquids, water, etc.
Common Types of Portable Toilets
- Urine-diversion dehydration toilets
- Portable camping toilets
- Chemical toilets
Urine-diversion dehydration toilets separate your excretes into two different containers to combat the negative consequences of mixing your excretes.
This has multiple benefits: the toilet doesn’t need a water source to flush, doesn’t use chemicals, and even lets your dried solid waste be reused in agriculture as a fertilizer.
Probably the most eco-friendly toilet out there. But you can still use toilet paper here like you would in any other porta-potty.
Portable camping toilets are what you would find in a travel trailer or a boat, not to be confused with toilets that are plumbed into the vehicle.
These portable toilets went a long way from a simple bucket toilet and currently provide a much cleaner and safer way of storing excretes without any septic systems.
Chemical portable toilets are the most popular of this toilet type.
You see them while camping, at concerts, on the streets, and in many other places. It is often a large cabin, fit for a single person to use.
Filled with chemicals or bacteria, this portable toilet either stops harmful organisms and toxins from spreading and causing diseases or processes your excretes into compost.
Now let’s discuss how you can dump waste from a portable toilet.
Cleaning Your Portable Toilet
You should not simply dump human waste somewhere outside. The waste will be a major health and safety hazard and spread diseases in the environment.
First of all, you must check your local regulations for the waste removal process.
The legislation regarding waste management should be your priority guide on how to dispose of human waste from portable toilets.
Dump Portable Toilet Waste Yourself
While the process can hold too much risk in the form of health issues if you fail to dispose of waste properly, you can try to dispose of human waste from your portable toilet on your own.
Make sure the local regulations and the structure of your portable toilet allow it. Some areas make it illegal to dump human waste in a sewer line to avoid diseases.
In the case that it is not allowed, you’ll have to rely on a cleaning company to get your human waste to the septic system.
For smaller and simpler models, porta-potty waste removal can be as easy as acquiring the container the human waste is stored in and emptying it in the sewage or any kind of septic system.
For example, you can carefully dump portable toilet waste in a toilet connected to a sewer line by tilting the output hole and taking care to flush when you feel the amount of human waste becomes excessive.
Downsides Of Doing It Yourself
If your portable toilet is too big, complex, or not easily accessible, you must use another way to dump portable toilet waste.
Moreover, choose to dispose of human waste from cassette and chemical toilets in your septic tank at your own risk, as it may cause health issues in the long run.
Holding Tank Dump Station
Giving a visit to this place is another way to dispose of human waste; although, you may not have access to it in some places. However, they are often situated next to camping sites and such.
Usually, the station is a large, mostly empty area with easy access to the sewers and a septic tank.
There is also usually a water source with a hose to allow for easy cleaning.
A visit to a holding tank dump station can be especially convenient for the owners of vehicles with portable camping toilets.
With just a couple of gloves, an elbow, and a cleaning hose you can dispose of your mess into a septic tank cheaply and simply.
Note, that a transparent elbow would be ideal, as it will allow you to see when the water running through it is clean again.
You must also make certain your elbow has no leaks before actually cleaning your portable toilet.
Remember, that all additional garbage, such as female hygiene products, must be thrown in the dumpster.
Use A Toilet Vacuum
A cleaner way is to use vacuum technology to get the waste out of the toilet.
A toilet vacuum is a very powerful vacuum cleaner that can handle being exposed to water and sewer waste.
Don’t try to use your normal vacuum cleaner for this type of job: it will break.
The portable toilet vacuum connects to the output hole and sucks out all the contents of the tank.
You may then dump the waste into a sewer line with a septic tank through a device in your house or visit an approved dumpsite, depending on the local regulations.
Maintaining The Vacuum In Proper Condition
Don’t forget to clean the vacuum after each use. The vacuum tends to also suck in the gases from the container, which can lead to bad odors if you skip the cleaning process.
Request The Services Of A Sanitation Company
A sanitation company is the best option when it comes to porta-potty waste removal. They will handle portable toilets of any design and size.
The professionals will ensure your human waste gets into the septic tank efficiently and safely, without any environmental issues.
Sanitation companies tend to use vacuums to properly dispose of human waste.
The waste is sucked into a large tank that will transport it to the facility with septic tanks, safely disposing of it.
Can I Handle Clearing the Waste Myself?
The services of a sanitation company may not be as cheap as cleaning your porta-potty yourself, but it is always preferable to let the specialists dispose of biohazardous materials.
It is also the optimal choice if you need to maintain multiple porta-potties for a big gathering, especially if you want your portable toilet to be clean and pleasant for every guest.
Sanitary precautions
Unless you are delegating all work to trained professionals, remember to clean every time after you get rid of the human waste.
For chemical and cassette toilets, you’ll need not only a cleaning liquid but also replacement chemicals to ensure the portable toilet maintains its functionality.
As human feces in general tend to be quite toxic, you should ideally work with gloves.
Avoid touching any part of your face or any sores and open wounds while handling the human waste.
Thoroughly wash your hands after you have finished working with sewers and human excretes.
What Chemicals Should Be Used For Portable Toilets?
An important part of maintaining chemical a portable toilet is replacing the chemicals each time you empty it. Using the approved chemicals will help you keep your porta-potty clean and safe for the health of other people.
You should not use chemical products that are not labeled as suitable for portable toilets.
Normal commercial cleaners can be too abrasive or contain additives that lead to the deterioration of important parts of your portable toilet system.
The chemicals come in liquid and tablet forms. The colors usually signify what effect the chemical has.
Pink chemicals are used in the freshwater tank. They keep the flush water fresh and safe, while also cleaning up grime.
Blue/green chemicals fight the nasty smells and help the contents of the waste tank break down faster.
FAQs
Where do you put the waste from a portable toilet?
Depending on your local regulations, the approved sites may vary. Some places allow you to use the sewer line for disposal, while others require you to only use authorized dump sites.
Any possible trash in the portable toilets, such as female hygiene products, must go in the dumpster, not in the sewer system.
Can I empty my portable toilet at home?
While it is better to request the services of a sanitation company or visit an approved site, if your local regulations allow it, and if the design of your portable toilet is simple enough, you can do it at home.
How is mobile toilet waste disposed of?
The tank that collects excretes is emptied at one of the approved locations in ways that were discussed earlier in this article.
What happens to human waste from porta potties?
Some portable toilet models allow for the collection of feces for possible reuse in agricultural purposes. However, most of it ends up in a septic tank.
To Sum Up
Learning how to dispose of human waste from portable toilets is a crucial step for every owner of portable toilets.
To avoid putting the health of you and other people in danger, you must take the responsibility of cleaning the human excretes from the portable toilets properly.
You can either handle the disposal yourself or request the help of professionals, as stated in the article. The most important part of all of this is ensuring that the waste ends up in a place where it won’t be a safety hazard.
My name is Ella Vicedomine and I’m the founder of this blog. The aim is to start this informational blog to guide people on how to dispose of waste things around in the house but in the right way.
