Storm Water Pollution Plan
What does SWPPP have to do with my portable toilet business?!
Well, its all about clean water, actually. Storm water run-off from
construction sites -( Where commonly, a portable toilet is in place)- can
contribute significant pollutants to America’s surface waters, seriously
damaging water quality. To at least control, and at best eliminate
pollutants in discharges from construction activity, the federal government
has established regulations through the Clean Water Act that require
contractors to obtain authorization to discharge storm water under The
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
SWPPP stands for: Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan. This is a
document that construction contractors are required to create and submit
to their state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional office in
application for a Construction General Permit. (This is the NPDES permit
mentioned above, that must be obtained prior to any ‘soil disturbance’ by
the contractor in compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act.) In the
SWPPP document, the contractor must identify the sources of pollutants
that will contaminate storm water run-off from his site. He also must
describe in the document which Best Management Practices (BMPs) -
schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures,
and other management practices that prevent or reduce the pollution of
United States water - he will use to reduce or eliminate these pollutants.
This is where the portable sanitation industry, specifically, portable toilets
come in to the picture! In the BMP Handbook contractors are guided by,
one section, “Sanitary/Septic Waste Management “ provides specific
guidelines for portable toilets on construction sites.
The portable toilet guidelines are few and simple. Also, the guidelines
have been left intentionally vague to allow for inventiveness in developing
solutions that suit each job site, company, weather conditions, region, etc.
In California’s Fact Sheet for Water Quality, Order 99-08-DWQ written by
the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), it is stated, “This
General Permit is performance-based to the extent that it prohibits the
discharge of storm water that causes or threatens to cause pollution,
contamination, or nuisance; but it also allows the owner/developer to
determine the most economical, effective, and possibly innovative BMPs.”
And, although contractors have the burden of responsibility for making
their entire job site compliant to the SWPPP which usually includes some
very complicated, highly technical engineering for other construction
activities, their guidelines for toilets may be as simple as the following
sentence used by one central southern state EPA regional office: “All
sanitary waste will be collected from the portable units a minimum of three
times per week by the XYZ Company, a licensed ABC City sanitary waste
management contractor, as required by local regulation.” Even one
California regional office which is more demanding in its guidelines, still only
provides the following guidance:
1.) locate toilets away from drainage facilities, watercourses, and traffic
circulation,
2.) secure toilets from overturning in high wind conditions,
3.) wastewater may not be discharged or buried within the highway right-
of-way,
4.) sanitary and septic systems that discharge directly into sanitary sewer
systems must comply with local health agencies,
5.) if using an on site disposal system, comply with local health agencies,
6.) properly connect temporary sanitary facilities that discharge to the
sanitary sewer system to avoid illicit discharges,
7.) ensure that sanitary/septic facilities are maintained in good working
order by a licensed service,
8.) Use only reputable, licensed sanitary/septic waste haulers.
Most large construction companies are hiring civil engineers to educate
their contractors, supervisors, and other personnel on the SWPPP and
BMPs through in-house seminars and industry workshops. Still, contractors
are typically overloaded with issues much larger than portable toilets when
at the actual job site. To quote Keith Silva, Environmental Engineer, Water
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, “Portable toilets
simply aren’t on the radar screen.” By and large, this is true. However, if
you’ve ever been, as I have, on the receiving end of a phone call from one
of your biggest construction customers, stating that an over-zealous
inspector just came by and told him that he must have the (your) portable
toilets in compliance immediately or be fined (fines can top at $27,500.00
per violation, per day), and your customer demands to know what you’re
going to do about it, you’re well aware of how frightening the situation can
be! Then, under these conditions, just try telling your customer its HIS
responsibility!! Well, you can follow the logic of this sequence of events.
The sanitation industry has come up with several ‘BMPs’ of its own. A
sample list includes: plastic liners placed under portable toilets, sandbag
berms placed around the plastic-under-lined units, secondary containment
trays that units sit in to contain washdown water, industrial absorbent
mats placed under units, absorbent booms placed around units, Standard
Operating Procedure documentation that is included in the SWPPP
document per job site, and even, on rare occasion, waivers for exemption
that are restricted to specific, regulated areas such as Tribal Lands. These
BMPs vary by region due to topography, proximity of bodies of water,
current degree of water contamination, population, regional office
requirements, inventiveness, etc.
Since the Clean Water Act is a national program, every state is included in
an EPA Region (there are 10 regions) that have offices to oversee all
NPDES permitting, activities, and administration. The EPA Offices are
allowed, if a state chooses, to pass along their authority to local
municipalities as long as the municipality’s requirements are at least as
stringent as those laid out by the federal regulation. This is the most
typical scenario. One example of this is the city of San Diego, California,
which requires additional permits imposed by the local health agency. This
region has even gone to the point of distributing a letter from the County
of San Diego Department of Public Works stating that it “will consider the
use of portable toilet ground trays as adequate secondary containment
and spill protection for cleaning operations.” And, “Although the County will
not endorse nor recommend any specific product, construction sites that
use secondary containment trays designed for portable toilets will not be
cited as being deficient in this area.”
One very important point to remember regarding this whole issue, is that
no one BMP is allowed, by law, to be promoted by the EPA! The EPA is
required to encourage the use of any and all BMPs that fulfill the intent and
requirement of the Clean Water Act: no pollutants are to be allowed into
America’s storm drains.
Kathleen Groody, Environmental Specialist of the Construction and
Industrial Department in the Storm Water Unit for California, has
encouraged our industry to “use a variety of BMPs” and “be inventive in
creating your own solution” for making our toilets compliant. This approach,
she advises, will enable our industry to utilize its expertise regarding
portable toilets, allow us to develop a procedure or product that would
benefit our industry, and finally, help our customers, the public at large,
and our environment.
What does SWPPP have to do with my portable toilet business?!
Well, its all about clean water, actually. Storm water run-off from
construction sites -( Where commonly, a portable toilet is in place)- can
contribute significant pollutants to America’s surface waters, seriously
damaging water quality. To at least control, and at best eliminate
pollutants in discharges from construction activity, the federal government
has established regulations through the Clean Water Act that require
contractors to obtain authorization to discharge storm water under The
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
SWPPP stands for: Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan. This is a
document that construction contractors are required to create and submit
to their state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional office in
application for a Construction General Permit. (This is the NPDES permit
mentioned above, that must be obtained prior to any ‘soil disturbance’ by
the contractor in compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act.) In the
SWPPP document, the contractor must identify the sources of pollutants
that will contaminate storm water run-off from his site. He also must
describe in the document which Best Management Practices (BMPs) -
schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures,
and other management practices that prevent or reduce the pollution of
United States water - he will use to reduce or eliminate these pollutants.
This is where the portable sanitation industry, specifically, portable toilets
come in to the picture! In the BMP Handbook contractors are guided by,
one section, “Sanitary/Septic Waste Management “ provides specific
guidelines for portable toilets on construction sites.
The portable toilet guidelines are few and simple. Also, the guidelines
have been left intentionally vague to allow for inventiveness in developing
solutions that suit each job site, company, weather conditions, region, etc.
In California’s Fact Sheet for Water Quality, Order 99-08-DWQ written by
the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), it is stated, “This
General Permit is performance-based to the extent that it prohibits the
discharge of storm water that causes or threatens to cause pollution,
contamination, or nuisance; but it also allows the owner/developer to
determine the most economical, effective, and possibly innovative BMPs.”
And, although contractors have the burden of responsibility for making
their entire job site compliant to the SWPPP which usually includes some
very complicated, highly technical engineering for other construction
activities, their guidelines for toilets may be as simple as the following
sentence used by one central southern state EPA regional office: “All
sanitary waste will be collected from the portable units a minimum of three
times per week by the XYZ Company, a licensed ABC City sanitary waste
management contractor, as required by local regulation.” Even one
California regional office which is more demanding in its guidelines, still only
provides the following guidance:
1.) locate toilets away from drainage facilities, watercourses, and traffic
circulation,
2.) secure toilets from overturning in high wind conditions,
3.) wastewater may not be discharged or buried within the highway right-
of-way,
4.) sanitary and septic systems that discharge directly into sanitary sewer
systems must comply with local health agencies,
5.) if using an on site disposal system, comply with local health agencies,
6.) properly connect temporary sanitary facilities that discharge to the
sanitary sewer system to avoid illicit discharges,
7.) ensure that sanitary/septic facilities are maintained in good working
order by a licensed service,
8.) Use only reputable, licensed sanitary/septic waste haulers.
Most large construction companies are hiring civil engineers to educate
their contractors, supervisors, and other personnel on the SWPPP and
BMPs through in-house seminars and industry workshops. Still, contractors
are typically overloaded with issues much larger than portable toilets when
at the actual job site. To quote Keith Silva, Environmental Engineer, Water
Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, “Portable toilets
simply aren’t on the radar screen.” By and large, this is true. However, if
you’ve ever been, as I have, on the receiving end of a phone call from one
of your biggest construction customers, stating that an over-zealous
inspector just came by and told him that he must have the (your) portable
toilets in compliance immediately or be fined (fines can top at $27,500.00
per violation, per day), and your customer demands to know what you’re
going to do about it, you’re well aware of how frightening the situation can
be! Then, under these conditions, just try telling your customer its HIS
responsibility!! Well, you can follow the logic of this sequence of events.
The sanitation industry has come up with several ‘BMPs’ of its own. A
sample list includes: plastic liners placed under portable toilets, sandbag
berms placed around the plastic-under-lined units, secondary containment
trays that units sit in to contain washdown water, industrial absorbent
mats placed under units, absorbent booms placed around units, Standard
Operating Procedure documentation that is included in the SWPPP
document per job site, and even, on rare occasion, waivers for exemption
that are restricted to specific, regulated areas such as Tribal Lands. These
BMPs vary by region due to topography, proximity of bodies of water,
current degree of water contamination, population, regional office
requirements, inventiveness, etc.
Since the Clean Water Act is a national program, every state is included in
an EPA Region (there are 10 regions) that have offices to oversee all
NPDES permitting, activities, and administration. The EPA Offices are
allowed, if a state chooses, to pass along their authority to local
municipalities as long as the municipality’s requirements are at least as
stringent as those laid out by the federal regulation. This is the most
typical scenario. One example of this is the city of San Diego, California,
which requires additional permits imposed by the local health agency. This
region has even gone to the point of distributing a letter from the County
of San Diego Department of Public Works stating that it “will consider the
use of portable toilet ground trays as adequate secondary containment
and spill protection for cleaning operations.” And, “Although the County will
not endorse nor recommend any specific product, construction sites that
use secondary containment trays designed for portable toilets will not be
cited as being deficient in this area.”
One very important point to remember regarding this whole issue, is that
no one BMP is allowed, by law, to be promoted by the EPA! The EPA is
required to encourage the use of any and all BMPs that fulfill the intent and
requirement of the Clean Water Act: no pollutants are to be allowed into
America’s storm drains.
Kathleen Groody, Environmental Specialist of the Construction and
Industrial Department in the Storm Water Unit for California, has
encouraged our industry to “use a variety of BMPs” and “be inventive in
creating your own solution” for making our toilets compliant. This approach,
she advises, will enable our industry to utilize its expertise regarding
portable toilets, allow us to develop a procedure or product that would
benefit our industry, and finally, help our customers, the public at large,
and our environment.
| This site is owned and operated by the Sanitation Journal - a leading magazine to the portable sanitation industry. For further information contact the Sanitation Journal by email: info@sanitationjournal.com or visit them online at www.sanitationjournal.com |
| Federal Law Seeks Containment of Wash Down Water |
| National Portable Toilet Rental Directory |
• Price of Portable Toilets
• The cost is usually related to
the quantity of porta potties
needed and the length of time
they will be rented for.
Regardless, portable toilets are
very affordable especially when
you consider that portables can
cost upwards of $800.00 to
purchase new. A portable
restroom service vehicle-new can
be upwards of $80,000 not to
mention the labor for servicing.
• Generally the cost goes up
starting at a standard portable
restroom then to a wheelchair
accessible or ADA unit, solar
powered and then upward to
include luxury trailers. You can
expect to pay more depending on
the amenities of the toilet.
Overall portable toilet rentals are
a bargain compared to many
other types of rental equipment.
• The cost is usually related to
the quantity of porta potties
needed and the length of time
they will be rented for.
Regardless, portable toilets are
very affordable especially when
you consider that portables can
cost upwards of $800.00 to
purchase new. A portable
restroom service vehicle-new can
be upwards of $80,000 not to
mention the labor for servicing.
• Generally the cost goes up
starting at a standard portable
restroom then to a wheelchair
accessible or ADA unit, solar
powered and then upward to
include luxury trailers. You can
expect to pay more depending on
the amenities of the toilet.
Overall portable toilet rentals are
a bargain compared to many
other types of rental equipment.
| This site is owned and operated by the Sanitation Journal - a leading magazine to the portable sanitation industry. For further information contact the Sanitation Journal by email: info@sanitationjournal.com or visit them online at www.sanitationjournal.com |
• Price of Portable Toilets
• The cost is usually related to
the quantity of porta potties
needed and the length of time
they will be rented for.
Regardless, portable toilets are
very affordable especially when
you consider that portables can
cost upwards of $800.00 to
purchase new. A portable
restroom service vehicle-new can
be upwards of $80,000 not to
mention the labor for servicing.
• Generally the cost goes up
starting at a standard portable
restroom then to a wheelchair
accessible or ADA unit, solar
powered and then upward to
include luxury trailers. You can
expect to pay more depending on
the amenities of the toilet.
Overall portable toilet rentals are
a bargain compared to many
other types of rental equipment.
• The cost is usually related to
the quantity of porta potties
needed and the length of time
they will be rented for.
Regardless, portable toilets are
very affordable especially when
you consider that portables can
cost upwards of $800.00 to
purchase new. A portable
restroom service vehicle-new can
be upwards of $80,000 not to
mention the labor for servicing.
• Generally the cost goes up
starting at a standard portable
restroom then to a wheelchair
accessible or ADA unit, solar
powered and then upward to
include luxury trailers. You can
expect to pay more depending on
the amenities of the toilet.
Overall portable toilet rentals are
a bargain compared to many
other types of rental equipment.
Toilet-Rental.Com
National Rental Database
| A complete source connecting portable restroom contractors with builders, governmental agencies and special event coordinators. We have united our site services with portable restroom rental companies across the nation making it fast and easy for you to find the right portable restroom service provider for your need. It is absolutely free and unlike other sites that solicit personal information from you we simply connect you within just a couple of key strokes. |
| Never a Charge For The Searcher! |
| City, State |
Search by
• Portable Toilet Rentals
• If you are interested in renting
portable toilets for your
construction project, remodel or
even for a special event you
have found the most
comprehensive list of portable
toilet rental contractors.
• Toilet-Rental.com is an easy to
use site that helps you find
portable toilet rental companies
You will find portable toilet
rental companies able to meet
the demands of even the
toughest of waste management
scenarios. Contractors throughout
the area can rely on the fact that
portable toilet service providers
listed within our pages are well
equipped to rent portable toilets
in the quantity and service level
Expected. We know how important
service is for contractors doing
work in the area and realize that
finding a good quality portable
toilet rental service company is
just one component in your
overall project. If you are new to
toilet-rental.com, you have just
found the directory for portable
toilet rentals that you will want to
bookmark and return to when
your project calls for portable
toilet and or other sanitation
requirements.
• Building?
• What do I need to know?
• Construction Recommendations
• Emergency Response
• Unfortunately conditions beyond
anyone's control require the
need for an abundance of
portable toilets and service
Portable sanitation becomes a
top priority when people are left
devastated by events such as
hurricanes, earthquakes and
even fire. The need for portable
toilets often leave governmental
agencies scrambling to find
portable restroom rental
companies capable of meeting
this type of demand. In the
disaster response area of
toilet-rental.com are listings that
include portable toilet rental
companies experienced in
emergency response working with
federal agencies such as FEMA
and Army Corp of Engineers
Their credentials are listed
including state agencies they
have previously done business
with. From hurricanes flooding,
fire and earthquakes you can be
assured that the issue of portable
sanitation is properly addressed.
• Emergency Response
• If you are interested in renting
portable toilets for your
construction project, remodel or
even for a special event you
have found the most
comprehensive list of portable
toilet rental contractors.
• Toilet-Rental.com is an easy to
use site that helps you find
portable toilet rental companies
You will find portable toilet
rental companies able to meet
the demands of even the
toughest of waste management
scenarios. Contractors throughout
the area can rely on the fact that
portable toilet service providers
listed within our pages are well
equipped to rent portable toilets
in the quantity and service level
Expected. We know how important
service is for contractors doing
work in the area and realize that
finding a good quality portable
toilet rental service company is
just one component in your
overall project. If you are new to
toilet-rental.com, you have just
found the directory for portable
toilet rentals that you will want to
bookmark and return to when
your project calls for portable
toilet and or other sanitation
requirements.
• Building?
• What do I need to know?
• Construction Recommendations
• Emergency Response
• Unfortunately conditions beyond
anyone's control require the
need for an abundance of
portable toilets and service
Portable sanitation becomes a
top priority when people are left
devastated by events such as
hurricanes, earthquakes and
even fire. The need for portable
toilets often leave governmental
agencies scrambling to find
portable restroom rental
companies capable of meeting
this type of demand. In the
disaster response area of
toilet-rental.com are listings that
include portable toilet rental
companies experienced in
emergency response working with
federal agencies such as FEMA
and Army Corp of Engineers
Their credentials are listed
including state agencies they
have previously done business
with. From hurricanes flooding,
fire and earthquakes you can be
assured that the issue of portable
sanitation is properly addressed.
• Emergency Response
• Portable Restroom rentals for
events .
• You will notice that there are
no shortages of special events
from weddings requiring VIP
restrooms to large events
requiring the rental of several
fancy portable restroom
trailers, Toilet-Rental.com is
the ideal location for you to
find portable restroom rentals
that meet your waste
management needs. We know
that you are not interested in
renting outhouses, privies or
porta potties. You want clean
sanitary portable restrooms
that will enhance your event
• When it comes to quality,
Toilet-Rental.com along with
the portable toilet rental
companies listed in our
directory site create a united
approach to portable restroom
rentals. United-site services
are our number one focus!
• If you have never planned an
event it might be confusing to
calculate how many portable
restrooms need to be rented to
accommodate an anticipated
crowd. Often complicating the
issue is the addition of
specialty restroom trailers
wheel chair accessible units
and hand wash facilities. It is
in the rental of all these
portable sanitation items that
an event can be assured that
their waste management
needs are in order.
• As a first step in planning your
waste management program
you can gain a better
understanding of your needs
by utilizing this handy chart.
• Special Event Chart
• Professional Site Services
• There is much to consider
when planning for the
sanitation needs of large
groups. It is advisable to use
the chart as a place to begin
When possible speak directly
with a portable sanitation
professional who can help you
determine the quantity of
portable toilets, wheelchair
accessible units, hand wash
facilities and specialty
restroom trailers you will need
in order to enhance the overall
outcome of your special event.
• Specialty Portable Restroom
Trailers
• It is amazing but luxury
restroom trailers have
grown in popularity. These
luxury restrooms provide an
excellent method of handling
the waste management needs
of groups who prefer top of
the line accommodations. You
can find portable restroom
trailers with air-conditioning
heat, stereo, private stalls and
even marble counter tops. If
you are interested in state of
the art portable restrooms
hopefully you can find them
right here. If not we have
compiled a national list of
specialty portable restroom and
shower trailer rental companies
that can accommodate your
need. In this directory we have
united all the providers of
portable restroom, shower trailer
companies in the United
States onto one page and
have them broke down to the
areas they are willing to
service. We are confident you
will find one or more willing to
go where you need them.
• Specialty Restroom and
Shower Trailer
events .
• You will notice that there are
no shortages of special events
from weddings requiring VIP
restrooms to large events
requiring the rental of several
fancy portable restroom
trailers, Toilet-Rental.com is
the ideal location for you to
find portable restroom rentals
that meet your waste
management needs. We know
that you are not interested in
renting outhouses, privies or
porta potties. You want clean
sanitary portable restrooms
that will enhance your event
• When it comes to quality,
Toilet-Rental.com along with
the portable toilet rental
companies listed in our
directory site create a united
approach to portable restroom
rentals. United-site services
are our number one focus!
• If you have never planned an
event it might be confusing to
calculate how many portable
restrooms need to be rented to
accommodate an anticipated
crowd. Often complicating the
issue is the addition of
specialty restroom trailers
wheel chair accessible units
and hand wash facilities. It is
in the rental of all these
portable sanitation items that
an event can be assured that
their waste management
needs are in order.
• As a first step in planning your
waste management program
you can gain a better
understanding of your needs
by utilizing this handy chart.
• Special Event Chart
• Professional Site Services
• There is much to consider
when planning for the
sanitation needs of large
groups. It is advisable to use
the chart as a place to begin
When possible speak directly
with a portable sanitation
professional who can help you
determine the quantity of
portable toilets, wheelchair
accessible units, hand wash
facilities and specialty
restroom trailers you will need
in order to enhance the overall
outcome of your special event.
• Specialty Portable Restroom
Trailers
• It is amazing but luxury
restroom trailers have
grown in popularity. These
luxury restrooms provide an
excellent method of handling
the waste management needs
of groups who prefer top of
the line accommodations. You
can find portable restroom
trailers with air-conditioning
heat, stereo, private stalls and
even marble counter tops. If
you are interested in state of
the art portable restrooms
hopefully you can find them
right here. If not we have
compiled a national list of
specialty portable restroom and
shower trailer rental companies
that can accommodate your
need. In this directory we have
united all the providers of
portable restroom, shower trailer
companies in the United
States onto one page and
have them broke down to the
areas they are willing to
service. We are confident you
will find one or more willing to
go where you need them.
• Specialty Restroom and
Shower Trailer