Port-a-potty Tanks – What's Down There, Anyway?
It could be said that the more you know about port-a-potties, the less hesitant you might feel if you, ever, have to use one. With that being said, it's only fair to defend port-a-potties since any bad reputation they might have 'earned' throughout the decades would be due to poor maintenance or misuse and not due to the port-a-potties, themselves. Just like restrooms in any home, keeping port-a-potties regularly cleaned is key.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know!
People, often, inquire about these humble huts and one question, often, asked about them is: How many gallons of water do they save every year? Answer: Portable restrooms save 45 billion gallons of freshwater each year, according to the Portable Sanitation Association International. Another common port-a-potty question is: What is in those port-a-potty tanks? Answer: Aside from water, the tanks of port-a-potties contain a few main ingredients:
1) A blue dye is added to make the water more aesthetically pleasing. The blue dye serves as a very powerful deodorizer with disinfectant properties. As a result, smells are kept to a minimum.
2) A fragrance is added to the water to, further, aid in controlling odors.
3) Biocides go in for 'the kill' – they destroy harmful bacteria and harmful microbes. Beneficial enzymes and beneficial microbes feed on odor-causing bacteria. Also, other biological additives can be used in the holding tanks to aid in quicker decomposition of waste and toilet paper.
4) A salty brine is essential when the weather gets cold. Port-a-potty tanks must be kept from freezing, and when a salty brine is added to the water, the water's freezing point is significantly lowered. Eco-friendly antifreeze might be included in holding-tank water instead of brine – the same type of antifreeze used to winterize vacation homes, boats, and RVs during the cold months.
What About Urinals?
Believe it or not, some portable restrooms offer urinals – and not just ordinary urinals but waterless urinals! You might, again, be asking the same question: What is down there? These waterless wonders are quite ingenious and operate on the very simple principle that urine is heavier than oil – that is the critical factor that makes waterless urinals work so well.
Here is how it works: urine flows down the bowl past a debris-catching strainer and, then, flows through an oily, sealing liquid. The urine collects in the waste pipe but any odor is undetectable – the urine is gone and no smell is evident – done deal! Keep in mind that the heavier-than-oil urine penetrates the oil, which floats. Any air bubbles from urination escape, which leaves the urine in a low-oxygen environment. This allows the urine and its odors to become trapped below the oil layer, above – a simplistic concept that works like a charm! Here's an interesting side-note: waterless urinals have been used, globally, for 30 years. The Waterless Company launched its waterless urinals in 1992!
Contact WESTWAY SITE SERVICES, formerly Moore Cans, Today!
Regarding any other questions you might have, give WESTWAY SITE SERVICES, formerly Moore Cans a call at 214-351-0909. We offer a vast array of basic port-a-potties as well as portable restrooms with flushing toilets, and luxury restroom trailers with posh amenities including climate-control, sinks with running water, models that accommodate up to 10 users, simultaneously, and much more!