If you’ve ever used a porta potty, you may have wondered if and when a toilet of its size is ever emptied. The answer, of course, is yes. In sanitation worker terms, it’s called “servicing.” Servicing involves emptying the toilet of waste and also several other steps to restore the restroom to clean conditions. Porta potties are serviced at least once per week.
Emptying the Porta Potty
In order to evacuate the waste, sanitation workers insert a vacuum-like hose into the opening of the toilet. The other end is attached to a tanker truck that the hose pumps all of the waste into. Once the waste is emptied, the truck then goes to a nearby wastewater treatment facility to be treated.
Charging the Unit
Once the waste tank has been emptied, porta potties must be charged for use. This is done by pouring several gallons of blue additive into the toilet which acts as both a disinfectant and an odor neutralizer. The additive is also used to measure usage of the porta potty. Once it starts turning green, sanitation workers know it’s time for another service.
Scrubbing Away the Debris
Emptying the waste from the toilet itself is actually an easy task compared to scrubbing the unit. After all, not everyone is exactly respectful about keeping waste in its designated spot. The same goes for trash, muddy footprints, and miscellaneous items that get left behind. Sanitation workers work hard to completely scrub down the unit, including the walls, floors, toilet seat, urinals and windows.
Applying Disinfectant
At Mr. John, we take sanitizing a step further by using a state-of-the-art sanitizing system that allows us to spray hospital-grade disinfectant throughout the porta john. This reduces mold and odor-causing bacteria by 86% when compared to traditional cleaning methods.
Re-stocking Supplies
Depending on how much traffic the porta potty gets, supplies can go quick. It’s important to keep everything stocked for health and sanitation purposes. As part of the servicing process, sanitation workers will restock the porta potty with all necessary items, depending on your model of choice. Supplies can include toilet paper, hand sanitizer, paper towels and water.
At Mr. John, we take the servicing of our units seriously. Take it from one of our happy customers, Jim:
“I have been pipe-lining for 15 years and I have used my fair share of portable toilets. Your company is BY FAR the best I have ever worked with and has the cleanest unit I have EVER used!”
Hear more of what people are saying in our testimonials from Mr. John customers.
Now You Know How to Empty a Porta Potty
Emptying a portable toilet is a multi-step process. Each step is crucial in maintaining a clean and reliable unit: emptying the porta potty, adding waste disinfectant/odor neutralizer, removing debris, cleaning all surfaces, and restocking supplies. When you call on Mr. John, you’ll get professional porta potty servicing from experienced sanitation technicians.
Reach out to our team of dedicated customer service representatives to discuss the needs for your next rental.
