Maintaining Your Utility-free Green Flush Restroom
Here we will cover the basic things you need to know to keep a Green Flush self-contained restroom operating at its best . Those things include waste management, fixture maintenance, and keeping the water tanks sufficiently full.
Waste Management: Since you are not connected to a sewage system, waste is stored in the pre-cast concrete vault below the floor and will need to be pumped. The sewage can be pumped out via the manhole in the mechanical room by a licensed sewage pumping company under contract.
Alert devices are commonly installed to notify you if a tank is approaching capacity. These notifications can be sent via text, email, or phone message. Otherwise, you can check by taking a look in the manhole located in the mechanical room.
The waste is removed by a sewage pumping truck. A contract for this service may cost you between $0.10 and $0.30 per use. Some pumpers charge per visit and some charge per gallon pumped. Pumper visits can be scheduled as needed. For even less effort, you can schedule pumps at regular intervals or opt for a text alert service that will send a text message to you and your pumper when the vault is almost full.
Fixtures: Flushing urinals require no maintenance beyond normal cleaning. Waterless urinals require a special cleaning solution to clean them. Don’t use natural detergents as they will break down the oil in the urinal trap, causing an odor of urine in the restroom. The urinal cartridge will also need to be replaced per the manufacturer’s recommendations; or when an odor is present.
All Green Flush restrooms have normal sinks and toilets and can be maintained like any other.
Flush Water System: When not connected to an on-site waterline, the precast concrete vault will have a wall separating it into a flush water side and a wastewater side. The flush water side of the vault will need to be filled with potable or non-potable water from a water truck, a nearby hose, or rainwater collected from the roof. A 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach should be added monthly to keep the walls and floor of the cistern free of organics.
Sink Water System: If this restroom has no water service available then potable water must be hauled. There is a 225-gallon potable water tank in the mechanical room that provides potable water for the sink which is pressurized by water pumps. The 225 gallon tank will provide an estimated 3,600 sink uses. One ounce of chlorine bleach per 100 gallons of water should be added monthly between fillings.