64E-6.0101. Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks

(1) Persons servicing portable restrooms, portable hand washing facilities and portable or stationary holding tanks shall obtain an annual permit on Form DH 4013 from the county health department in the county in which the service company has an office or storage yard. The service company need not be permitted in neighboring counties in which the service company operates but does not have an office or storage yard. Service persons shall carry proof of possession of a current annual operating permit and vehicle inspection for review by department personnel in neighboring counties. Permits issued under this rule authorize the disposal service to handle liquid waste associated with portable restrooms, portable hand washing facilities, restroom trailers, shower trailers and portable or stationary holding tanks containing domestic wastewater produced in the State of Florida.

(2) Application for a service permit shall be made to the DOH county health department on Form DH 4012, “Application for Septage Disposal Service Permit, Temporary System Service Permit, Septage Treatment and Disposal Facility, Septic Tank Manufacturing Approval”. The following must be provided for the evaluation prior to issuance of a service permit:

(a) Evidence that the applicant possesses adequate equipment such as a tank truck, pumps, off truck stabilization tanks and pH testing equipment where lime stabilization and land application are proposed, as well as other appurtenances and tools necessary to perform the work intended. Equipment may be placed into service only after it has been inspected and approved by the DOH county health department. Tanks used for the stabilization and storage of portable or stationary holding tank waste and portable restroom waste shall be constructed, sized, and operated in accordance with the provisions of subparagraphs 64E-6.010(2)(a)1.-3., F.A.C.

(b) The proposed disposal method and the site to be used for disposing of the waste from portable restrooms or portable or stationary holding tanks.

(c) The contractor registration number and certificate of authorization number, if applicable.

(3) When a permit is issued, the number of said permit along with the name of the company, its phone number, and the gallon capacity of the waste storage tank shall be prominently and permanently displayed on the service truck in contrasting colors with 3 inch or larger letters. Use of removable magnetic signs shall not be considered permanent display of vehicle identification information.

(4) After waste is removed from a portable or stationary holding tank, the original cap or lid of the tank shall be put back in place, or be replaced with a new cap or lid if the original one is broken. Tank lids shall be completely sealed and secured as per paragraph 64E-6.013(2)(i), F.A.C. The site shall be left in a nuisance-free condition.

(5) Waste from portable or stationary holding tanks or portable restrooms shall be transported to an approved treatment facility in such a manner as to preclude leakage, spillage or the creation of a sanitary nuisance.

(6) All portable restroom and portable or stationary holding tank waste haulers regulated by Chapter 64E-6, F.A.C., are to maintain a collection and hauling log at the main business location which provides the information listed below. Records shall be retained for five (5) years.

(a) Date of septage or waste collection;

(b) Estimated volume, in gallons, of septage or waste transported;

(c) Location of the approved treatment facility;

(d) Date and time of discharge to the treatment facility;

(e) Acknowledgement from treatment facility of receipt of septage or waste; and

(f) The location and the installation or placement date of all portable holding tanks placed into service. When a county health department requests to see the list of holding tank installation locations, only those locations within the health department’s county of jurisdiction need to be provided.

(7) Portable Restrooms, Portable Holding Tanks, Stationary Holding Tanks, Mobile Restroom Trailers, Mobile Shower Trailers, and Portable Sinks.

(a) The department shall allow, on a temporary basis, portable restrooms, mobile restrooms, mobile shower trailers, and portable or stationary holding tanks for fairs, carnivals, revivals, field locations, encampments and other locations which lack permanent structures where people congregate for short periods of time, provided the construction, maintenance, and utilization of such systems conform to the general provisions of this chapter. Portable restrooms, portable or stationary holding tanks or other restroom facilities shall be provided at commercial and residential building sites for the duration of construction any time workers are present, and shall not be bound by the definition of temporary. All required restroom facilities shall remain accessible whenever the intended users are present. Where the department determines that no health hazard will result, portable restrooms, portable holding tanks, stationary holding tanks, mobile restroom trailers, mobile shower trailers, and portable sinks shall be permitted meeting setbacks that are 50% of the setback requirements of subsections 64E-6.005(1) through (3), F.A.C., provided portable or stationary holding tanks shall be placed within secondary containment structures with a containment capacity of no less than 110% of the total waste capacity of the holding tank. For purposes of this rule, a holding tank is any sealed, water tight fixture for receiving and storing domestic wastewater from plumbing fixtures in remote locations or at building sites or special events. For purposes of this rule, a portable restroom is a transportable, self contained static or flush-type toilet constructed to promote a sanitary environment at remote locations, building sites or special events, comprised of at least a waste storage receptacle, a riser and toilet seat and a protective enclosure. Portable restrooms, mobile restrooms, and mobile shower trailers at building sites or at a location for a temporary period of time do not require a permit from the department but must comply with the provisions of this rule. A construction permit (DH 4016) shall be obtained before placing or installing any stationary holding tanks.

(b) The department shall approve, for permanent use or placement, portable restrooms or stationary holding tanks at continually used locations where restroom facilities are desirable for the promotion of public health and where conventional facilities are neither available nor practical. Examples of such locations would be boat ramps, remote areas of golf courses, office or sales trailers, or other places where people congregate which meet the above criteria. A construction permit (DH 4016) shall be obtained before placing or installing any portable restroom or stationary holding tank for permanent use. The portable restroom service company providing portable restrooms or stationary holding tanks shall be responsible for maintenance of the unit and removal if conventional facilities are made available.

(c) Portable restrooms shall be self-contained, have self closing doors and shall be designed and maintained so that insects are excluded from the waste container.

(d) Portable restroom service company operators shall use Table PR I to determine the required number of facilities for special events for use in situations where no local or state codes provide a minimum number of toilet facilities. Table PR I assumes that the portable restrooms are serviced only once per day. If the restrooms are serviced twice per day, the value from the table shall be divided by two. If they are pumped three or more times per day, the value shall be divided by three. All resulting fractional numbers of restrooms required shall be rounded up to the next higher whole number of restrooms. If permanent restroom facilities are available for use by the attendees, the number of portable restrooms may be reduced based on the number of attendees the permanent facilities are designed to accommodate. At least one working day prior to the special event, special event organizers shall provide to the county health department a signed contract, or facsimile copy thereof, with the portable restroom service company specifying the dates the facilities will be on the event site, the number of restroom facilities to be provided, the servicing frequency and the removal date for the units.

(e) Table PR II shall be used to determine the number of required facilities at remote locations and commercial and residential building sites.

1. Table PR II assumes that the portable restrooms are serviced only once per week. If the restrooms are serviced twice per week, the value from the table shall be divided by two. If they are pumped three or more times per week, the value shall be divided by three. All resulting fractional numbers of restrooms required shall be rounded up to the next higher whole number of restrooms.

2. Where a contractor has multiple building sites, the individual sites shall be considered a single site for purpose of determining the number of facilities. Portable restrooms serving multiple individual building sites may be shared between sites provided they are no more than 300 feet from any individual building site served.

(f) Waste receptacles shall be watertight and made of non-absorbent, acid resistant, corrosion-resistant and easily cleanable material.

(g) The floors and interior walls shall have a non-absorbent finish and be easily cleanable.

(h) Portable restrooms shall be serviced at least weekly and the inside of the structure housing the storage compartment shall be cleaned on each service visit. The waste storage compartment shall be charged with a sanitizer-deodorizer solution prepared in accordance with the sanitizer-deodorizer manufacturer’s instructions.

(i) Each portable restroom shall have listed in a conspicuous place the name and telephone number of the servicing company.

(j) Portable restrooms shall be maintained in a sanitary condition. Portable restrooms at special events shall be serviced at least daily.

TABLE PR I

NUMBER OF PORTABLE RESTROOMS REQUIRED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

(ASSUMES SERVICING ONCE PER DAY)

NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER DAY		NUMBER OF HOURS FOR EVENT PER DAY
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
250	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3
500	2	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
1000	4	5	6	7	7	8	8	8	8	8
2000	6	10	12	13	14	14	14	15	15	15
3000	9	14	17	19	20	21	21	21	21	22
4000	12	19	23	25	28	28	28	30	30	30
5000	15	23	30	32	34	36	36	36	36	36
6000	17	28	34	38	40	42	42	42	44	44
7000	20	32	40	44	46	48	50	50	50	50
8000	23	38	46	50	54	57	57	58	58	58
9000	26	42	52	56	60	62	62	62	64	64
10,000	30	46	57	63	66	70	70	72	72	72
12,500	36	58	72	80	84	88	88	88	88	92
15,000	44	70	84	96	100	105	105	110	110	110
17,500	50	80	100	110	115	120	125	125	126	126
20,000	57	92	115	125	132	138	138	144	144	150
25,000	72	115	144	154	168	175	175	176	176	184
30,000	88	138	168	192	200	208	208	216	216	216

 

TABLE PR II

PORTABLE RESTROOMS REQUIRED FOR REMOTE LOCATIONS AND COMMERCIAL AND

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SITES

PER SITE OR LOCATION

(ASSUMES SERVICING ONCE PER WEEK)

NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER SITE	NUMBER OF RESTROOMS REQUIRED
8 HOURS PER DAY – 40 HOURS PER WEEK
1-10	1
11-20	2
21-30	3
31-40	4
41-50	5
over 50	Add 1 restroom for every 10 additional people or fraction thereof

 

TABLE PR III

HOLDING TANK CAPACITY REQUIRED FOR REMOTE LOCATIONS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS

PER SITE OR LOCATION

(ASSUMES SERVICING TWICE PER WEEK)

NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER SITE	MINIMUM HOLDING TANK CAPACITY (IN GALLONS)
8 HOURS PER DAY – 40 HOURS PER WEEK
1	125
2-3	250
4-5	500
6-7	750
over 7	Add 125 gallons for each additional person

(k) Portable hand washing facilities shall be self-contained and have access to a fresh water compartment and a wastewater compartment. A sign shall be posted near the hand washing apparatus to advise users that the water is not for drinking.

(l) Portable hand washing facilities shall be provided in a proportion of one hand wash facility to every ten portable restrooms required, and shall be provided at special events and remote locations where food is served or picnic areas are provided. With the exception of locations where food is served, hand sanitizers may be used in lieu of hand washing facilities, at the option of the applicant.

(m) The number and location of portable restroom and hand washing facilities for food handlers at special events shall be based on this section or applicable local or state food hygiene requirements, whichever is greater.

(n) An applicant for a stationary holding tank installation permit shall provide to the county health department a copy of a contract with a permitted disposal company that states the holding tank capacity and the scheduled pumping frequency.

(o) All stationary holding tanks shall be constructed in compliance with the construction standards for treatment receptacles in Rule 64E-6.013, F.A.C.

(p) Portable holding tanks shall meet the following requirements:

1. The total effective capacity of the portable holding tank shall not exceed 300 gallons;

2. No portion of the portable holding tank shall be more than 12 inches below the surface of the ground;

3. The portable holding tank shall be used for a construction site or temporary use;

4. The portable holding tank shall be rigid, water-tight, impervious;

5. Polyethylene holding tanks shall meet the requirements of International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) PS 1-93, Paragraph 5.4 “Polyethylene”, herein incorporated by reference. Where the requirements of IAPMO PS 1-93 Paragraph 5.4 “Polyethylene” conflict with the standards in this section, the standards in this section shall apply;

6. Multiple portable holding tanks, if used, shall be connected in such a manner that leakage from one tank will not result in the loss of any liquid from any other tanks;

7. Each portable holding tank shall have listed in a conspicuous place the name and telephone number of the servicing company; and

8. The portable holding tank shall be removed from the site when no longer needed;

9. The portable holding tank servicing company shall maintain a list of the location and the installation or placement date of all portable holding tanks placed into service. The list shall be made available to the Department upon request.

(q) Portable or stationary holding tanks shall be serviced at least weekly to prevent insanitary conditions.

(r) Table PR III shall be used to determine the required total capacity of portable or stationary holding tanks serving a remote location, construction site, or special event. The values from table PR III shall be adjusted proportionately to the number of times per week the holding tank will be emptied.

(s) Application for a service permit shall be made to the county health department on Form DH 4012, “Application for Septage Disposal Service Permit, Temporary System Service Permit, Septage Treatment and Disposal Facility, Septic Tank Manufacturing Approval”. The following must be provided for the evaluation prior to issuance of a service permit:

1. The permanent location and address of the business where operations will originate and where equipment is to be stored when it is not in use.

2. The proposed disposal method and the site to be used for disposing of the waste.

(t) The following equipment, maintenance and service requirements shall be complied with:

1. Vehicles used for servicing portable restrooms shall be provided with two separate tanks or a dual compartment tank. One compartment or tank shall be used for receiving and removing wastes and the other shall be used for clean water storage and shall have adequate capacity to allow proper cleaning of each serviced unit. The waste tank on all vehicles servicing portable restrooms or portable or stationary holding tanks shall be equipped with a suction hose having a cut-off valve not more than 36 inches from the intake end.

2. Standby portable restroom and holding tank service equipment shall be available for use during breakdowns or emergencies. If equipment from another approved service is to be used for stand-by purposes, a written agreement between the services must be provided to the county health department.

3. The waste storage compartment of a tank truck shall be maintained as necessary to prevent the creation of sanitary nuisance conditions.

(u) Portable or stationary holding tank, portable restroom, and portable hand sink wastes shall be disposed of into a septage treatment and disposal facility approved by the department or into a treatment facility approved or permitted for such disposal by the Department of Environmental Protection. These wastes shall be land applied under provisions of subsection 64E-6.010(7), F.A.C., provided a DEP-approved treatment facility is not available. Companies which service portable or stationary holding tanks or portable restrooms which use quaternary ammonium sanitizing and deodorizing compounds are prohibited from having the wastes treated or disposed of at lime stabilization facilities.

(v) When disposed of in a department approved lime stabilization facility, the portable restroom, portable hand washing and portable or stationary holding tank wastes shall be blended with domestic septage at a rate of no less than 3 parts septage to 1 part holding tank, portable restroom or portable hand washing facility waste prior to lime stabilization. Treatment and disposal shall comply with the provisions of paragraphs 64E-6.010(7)(a)-(u), F.A.C.

(w) Contents of portable restrooms and portable or stationary holding tanks shall be removed in their entirety when pumped.

(x) Persons who own portable restrooms but are not a permitted service company shall maintain a service contract with a permitted service company for every portable restroom in use. The name and telephone number of the owner shall be displayed on every portable restroom in use.

(8) All materials incorporated herein may be obtained from the Bureau of Onsite Sewage Programs at www.MyFloridaEH.com or 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A08, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1713.

Rulemaking Authority  381.0065(3)(a), 489.553(3) FS. Law Implemented 381.0065, 386.041 FS. History–New 5-24-04, Amended 11-26-06, 6-25-09, 4-28-10.