Under Tennessee Rule 0400-48-01-.20, anyone in the business of removing and disposing of septage from septic tanks, holding tanks or portable toilets must hold an annual permit from the Commissioner. Rule 0400-48-01-.22 governs disposal, favoring municipal or other wastewater treatment plants where permission can be obtained, with each disposal site holding its own annual permit. The rule text in the source is dated September 2024, so TDEC should confirm the current text.
Key takeaways
- Rule 0400-48-01-.20 requires an annual permit from the Commissioner for anyone removing and disposing of septage, including portable toilet waste.
- A permit can be denied after an earlier denial, suspension or revocation for unsatisfactory work.
- Rule 0400-48-01-.22 favors municipal or other wastewater treatment plants where permission can be obtained.
- A permitted domestic septage disposal site is the fallback, and each disposal site needs its own annual permit.
- Grease-trap waste is excluded from septage disposal sites under the rule text in the source.
- No separate Tennessee rule for the chemical toilet itself was found, and the rule text should be confirmed with TDEC.
Who must hold the hauling permit?
Anyone in the business of removing and disposing of septage from septic tanks, holding tanks or portable toilets, under Rule 0400-48-01-.20.
The rule's trigger is the business of removing and disposing of septage, and portable toilet waste is named in the rule. A company that empties units and takes the waste away is caught by the rule, even if it does not own the disposal site.
The permit is annual and is issued by the Commissioner. It belongs to the hauler, not to the rental company that arranges the service, so a site should ask the hauler for its own current permit.
A site that books a unit through a broker still needs to know who empties it. The party that removes the waste is the one whose permit matters.
Why can a permit be refused?
The rule allows the Commissioner to refuse a permit to an applicant that has been denied, suspended or revoked before for unsatisfactory work.
The refusal rule protects the public from a hauler that has failed before. A record of earlier denial, suspension or revocation is a reason the permit can be refused, and it is the first thing a careful site would check.
A site that works with a hauler that has been refused before should ask for the reasons and for evidence that the work has been put right. The check is simple and it protects the site and its neighbors.
The rule speaks to unsatisfactory work, so a hauler's safety and disposal record is part of what the Commissioner can weigh.
Where can the waste go?
Rule 0400-48-01-.22 favors disposal at municipal or other wastewater treatment plants where permission can be obtained, with a permitted domestic septage disposal site as the fallback.
The first choice under the rule is a wastewater treatment plant that will accept the waste. Where that is not possible, a domestic septage disposal site with its own permit is the fallback.
Each disposal site needs its own annual permit. The hauler should name the site on each visit record, and the site should be checked against its permit before the waste is taken there.
The disposal record is the proof that the waste reached an approved place, and the site should ask for it at the end of each month or each event.
What is excluded from a septage site?
Grease-trap waste is excluded from septage disposal sites under the rule text in the source.
A load that mixes grease-trap waste with portable toilet waste does not belong at a septage site. The hauler should keep the loads separate and say so on the record.
A site manager who sees a mixed load should raise it with the hauler and should not accept the load at a site that does not allow it.
Does the rule cover the chemical toilet itself?
No separate Tennessee rule for the chemical toilet itself was found in the sources this page relies on, so this page does not say a specific permit applies to the unit.
The rules that apply are the hauling and disposal rules for the waste. A unit placed on a Metro street or in a park still needs the Metro permit for the space, which is a different matter from the hauling permit.
A site that wants a statement about the unit itself should ask the provider and the state agency for the current position in writing.
How should a site check a hauler before the first visit?
Ask for the annual permit from the Commissioner, confirm it is current, ask for the disposal site and its permit, and keep the answers with the rental file.
A short list of questions is enough: the permit number, when it expires, which site the waste goes to, and whether that site holds its own permit. A hauler that can answer on the phone is showing it holds the permit.
The site should keep a copy of the answers with the rental file. That copy is useful if a neighbor, an inspector or the state asks who removed the waste and where it went.
If any answer is missing or unclear, the first visit should wait until it is given.
What should a site do if the hauler cannot show a permit?
Stop the visit until the permit is shown. A hauler without a current permit should not empty a unit, and the site should record the refusal and the time.
The site lead should tell the provider in writing that the visit was held back for want of a permit, and ask for the permit to be produced before the next attempt.
If the site is uncertain whether the hauler is lawful, the Commissioner's office or the state's environmental office can be asked. The question is simple, and a written answer is the best record.
How do the hauling rules and the disposal site fit together?
The hauler's permit covers the removal and the transport. The disposal site's own permit covers what it accepts. Both must be valid for the waste to be lawfully handled from the unit to the end of the chain.
A valid hauler with an unpermitted disposal site has not done the job lawfully, and a valid site with an unpermitted hauler has the same problem from the other end.
The record that names both is the proof that the chain was complete, which is why the disposal site is named on every visit record.
What records should a site keep under the hauling rules?
A visit record that names the hauler, the vehicle, the date, the volume taken from each unit and the disposal site used. The disposal site's receipt, where one is given, is kept with it.
The record is the proof the waste was handled under the rule. A site should ask for it at the end of each month or each event.
If the named disposal site does not hold a current permit, the site should raise it with the hauler before the next visit.
Does a county or a town add its own rule?
The state rule is the baseline. A county or a town may have its own requirement for the work, and the site should ask the local office, since the state text does not describe local conditions.
A town line job can cross a boundary between two offices. The provider confirms which office governs the spot before the booking.
Ask the local office in writing and keep the answer with the rental file.
What if the rule text changes?
The rule text in this page's source is dated September 2024. If the text has changed, the current version governs, and the hauler's permit should be checked against it.
A hauler that holds a permit under an older text may still need to meet a new condition. The question is put to the hauler in writing and to the state's environmental office if in doubt.
The site should note the date of the check on the rental file, so the answer can be found again when the next visit is booked.
Frequently asked questions
Who issues the Tennessee septage hauling permit?
The Commissioner, under Rule 0400-48-01-.20, on an annual basis.
Where does the waste go?
Preferably to a municipal or other wastewater treatment plant where permission is obtained, or to a permitted domestic septage site, under Rule 0400-48-01-.22.
Does each disposal site need a permit?
Yes. The rule says each disposal site needs its own annual permit.
Can a permit be refused?
Yes, after an earlier denial, suspension or revocation for unsatisfactory work.
Is the rule current?
The rule text in the source is dated September 2024. Confirm the current text with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation before quoting section numbers.
Does a Metro permit replace the hauling permit?
No. A Metro permit for the space and the state hauling permit are separate requirements.
Sources
- Tennessee Rules, Chapter 0400-48-01 (septage)
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
- State of Tennessee
This guide is general information for Davidson County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.