Portable toilets play a critical role in many industries and functions where permanent restroom access is limited.
But standard portable restrooms require frequent and messy service pumping to dispose of waste and replenish fresh water.
This article answers the question: what is a recirculating tank on a porta potty?
In short, a recirculating tank is a special two-tank system designed to recycle and reuse water, allowing a porta potty to flush repeatedly without external water.
This enables up to 60-125 flushes before needing service.
The recirculating tank works through one tank holding fresh supply water which is pumped to the toilet bowl for flushing.
This waste is then collected, filtered, and disinfected before returning to the fresh tank, resulting in major water, cost, and convenience savings versus traditional portable units.
The central purpose of a recirculating tank system is to allow a portable toilet to operate more efficiently with less frequent service pumping and replenishment.
Standard portable restrooms utilize a single wastewater tank that fills quickly with each flush, requiring messy and disruptive pumping out every few days or weeks.
This process also requires manually refilling the unit’s clean water supply, usually via truck or hose.
In contrast, a recirculating porta potty has a two-tank setup allowing water reuse.
One tank holds fresh supply water that is pumped to the toilet bowl to flush waste.
This wastewater is then diverted into a separate holding tank.
Here a special pump and filter system recycles the water, treating it with chemicals to sanitize it before returning it to the clean tank.
This creation of a semi-closed loop enables up to 60-125 flushes before the unit needs service, bringing major benefits in water savings, cost, and convenience.
Understanding this tank process helps clarify what makes recirculating systems superior.
The recirculating tank system on a porta potty consists of two key storage tanks:
The process works as follows:
This creates a closed-loop system allowing repeated flushing and reuse of the limited water supply onboard.
Up to 125 flushes are enabled before the wastewater tank needs draining and fresh chemicals added.
This functionality is the key advantage that defines a recirculating porta potty system.
The isolation and treatment of waste saves water, reduces costs, and allows longer operation between service needs.
Understanding the tank process provides clarity on how these units can operate more sustainability.
The recirculating flush system on a porta potty contains several key components that enable the reuse and treatment of wastewater:
Understanding these components provides clarity on how a recirculating toilet functions.
The fresh water tank holds the clean water that gets pumped to the toilet bowl with each flush.
This wastewater flows into the larger waste tank where the macerator pump breaks down solid waste.
A filter then screens out tiny particulates and disinfectant chemicals treat the water to make it safe for reuse.
This processed water is then returned to the fresh tank for subsequent flushing.
The system allows up to 125 flushes before the waste tank needs draining service.
This closed-loop small-scale water treatment process is what defines and differentiates a recirculating tank porta potty.
The key parts enable water savings and more sustainable operation compared to standard portable toilets.
The sizes of the fresh water and waste tanks are key specifications that enable a recirculating toilet system to operate sustainably with limited external water:
The waste tank is larger to accommodate more waste and water needing treatment.
But the 30-50 gallon fresh tank still provides a sufficient supply buffer to allow weeks or months between service needs.
Having sufficient storage capacity enables the extended operation and waste/water isolation central to this system.
With quality tanks sized appropriately, these units can handle the needs of 10+ people before requiring messy and disruptive pumping.
The tanks work together to create a semi-closed loop, eliminating dependence on external clean water filling between uses.
This allows flexible placement and service savings that define recirculating porta potties.
One key benefit of the recirculating tank system is the high number of flushes it enables between pump outs:
The system creates over triple the flushes between services by reusing and treating water internally.
With quality parts, these portable toilets can handle usage by 10+ people for a month or more without requiring tank drainage.
This is a 3-6X service interval improvement thanks to the closed-loop tank process.
Fewer disruptive pump-outs translate into major time, cost, and convenience advantages.
The multi-week flush capacity is central to the value of investing in recirculating systems rather than basic portable loos.
Understanding this service interval differentiation is key to recognizing the user benefits enabled by the specialized dual tank design.
The recirculating dual tank system provides several advantages over basic portable toilets:
By containing and processing waste internally, these systems deliver major functionality benefits beyond standard porta potties.
However, some periodic maintenance is still essential:
This maintenance requires opening the units about 2-3 times annually.
While not eliminating servicing needs, the system still provides major reductions in external water/handling demands.
The combination of enhanced functionality and manageable upkeep is why recirculating porta potties are rapidly gaining popularity and market share.
No, the waste tank still needs to be drained every 2-4 months when full. But service needs are cut 60-75%+.
Yes, quality units are built for high-traffic venues like concerts, construction sites, etc.
Yes, the tanks are fully separate throughout the sanitization and recycling process.
Yes, tanks have heating or insulation options to enable winter use.
