6 I PSAI Association Insight, December 1, 2021
Winterization: How to Prepare Restrooms and Equipment
for Extremely Cold Weather (Part 2)
(continued from page 5)
methanol absolutely must not enter the stormwater network. My advice is that
any operators planning to use methanol to prevent their restrooms from freezing
should check with their wastewater treatment plant before dumping.
Removable Tanks
In addition to frost protection and dosing, operators can also use restrooms
with removable tanks to maintain service in extremely cold conditions. Several
manufacturers produce units with a removable tank that can be swapped out
when full. These are easy enough to use. The technician arrives on site, removes
the full tank from the unit, and replaces it with an empty one. Because they don't
need to pump the waste, it doesn't matter if the tank is frozen. These tanks are
also smaller than regular drop tanks, which makes them lighter and easier to lift
when full.
Handwash Stations
While brines made with salt and methanol are suitable for use in restrooms,
they're not recommended for use in handwash stations. Ideally, these should be
positioned inside a building or shed to keep them out of the cold and prevent
them from freezing. Several manufacturers also produce handbasins that have
an option to add an electric water heater. Obviously, these will need to be
connected to a power supply, but they claim to prevent water from freezing
down to temperatures as low as 11°F (-11°C).
Another option for handbasins is a
nontoxic antifreeze such as propylene
glycol. I must absolutely stress that
automotive antifreeze is highly toxic and
must never be swallowed or ingested.
However, propylene glycol is used as a
food additive to keep ingredients moist.
It is nontoxic on skin and may be used in
freshwater handwash stations. That said,
as with methanol, there is a risk of tissue
damage when skin is exposed to very cold
water and for that reason alone, it might
be better to replace handwash stations
with sanitizer stands when extremely low
temperatures are expected.
About The Author
Pete is the voice of Get Flushed, a
weekly podcast dedicated to the
portable sanitation industry. He
completed an MBA at the University
of Reading (UK) in 2004 and moved
to New Zealand in 2006. Pete
taught university-level leadership
and management before joining
New Zealand's largest restroom
operator as a senior manager at the
start of 2016. In that role, he was
responsible for regional operations,
managed a range of events and
large-scale deployments, and led
the restroom response following
the Kaikoura Earthquakes in
October 2016. Pete left that role at
the end of 2019 and has spent the
past year travelling around New
Zealand with his wife and daughter
in a caravan. He now works with
restroom providers all over the
world in a consultancy and advisory
role, and launched the Get Flushed
podcast in April 2020. Get Flushed
is available on all major podcast
platforms and new episodes are
released every week.
E: pete@getflushed.online
T. +64 211 280 028
W. www.getflushed.online
1
https://www.peterschemical.com/calcium-chloride-vs-magnesium-chloride/
2
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/methyl-alcohol/default.html
3
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750029.html
