Routine removal
Waste taken from a unit on a scheduled visit, under the hauler's permit and taken to an approved disposal place.
Serving Davidson County
Portable Toilet Waste Hauling and Disposal in Nashville, TN
How the waste from a Nashville portable toilet is hauled and disposed of under Tennessee's septage rules, from pump-out to the approved site.
- Standard units, ADA units and handwash stations
- Construction sites, festivals and private events
- Delivery, servicing and pickup scheduled around your dates
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (888) 351-0294. Or send this and we call you back.
Septage Hauling
Tennessee Septage Hauling and Disposal: what it covers
Quick answer
Tennessee Rule 0400-48-01-.20 requires anyone in the business of removing and disposing of septage, including the waste from portable toilets, to hold an annual permit from the Commissioner. Rule 0400-48-01-.22 favors disposal at municipal or other wastewater treatment plants where permission can be obtained, and each disposal site needs its own annual permit. The rule text in the source is dated September 2024, so TDEC should confirm the current text.
Every portable toilet produces waste, and the rules for moving it are set by the state. Under 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. A permit can be refused after an earlier denial, suspension or revocation for unsatisfactory work.
Disposal is governed by Rule 0400-48-01-.22. It favors municipal or other wastewater treatment plants where permission can be obtained, and a permitted domestic septage disposal site is the fallback. Each disposal site needs its own annual permit, and grease-trap waste is excluded from septage sites.
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. It describes the hauling and disposal rules that do apply to the waste.
- Service area
- Nashville & Davidson County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local provider
- Phone
- (888) 351-0294
Warning signs
Signs you need tennessee septage hauling and disposal
Wear gloves when handling a sealed tank or a hose, keep waste out of the reach of the public, and never empty a unit into a storm drain, a creek or the ground.
- A hauler that cannot show a current Tennessee permit on request
- A waste load left at a site that is not an approved disposal place
- A grease-trap load mixed in with portable toilet waste
- A visit with no record of the disposal site used
Our process
How our tennessee septage hauling and disposal visit works
Check the hauler's permit
Ask for the annual septage hauling permit from the Commissioner, and confirm it is current.
Empty at the scheduled visit
The waste is removed on the set visit and is not left standing on the site.
Transport under the permit
The waste is carried in a sealed tank on the permitted vehicle and not discharged anywhere except an approved disposal place.
Dispose at a permitted site
The waste goes to a municipal plant where permission can be obtained, or to a permitted domestic septage site, and the disposal is recorded.
Keep the record
The visit and the disposal are recorded, so the site can show what was removed and where it went.
Who needs a permit to haul portable toilet waste in Tennessee?
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, under Rule 0400-48-01-.20.
The permit is annual, and it is the hauler's permit to hold, not the rental company's. A site should ask for it before the first visit and keep a copy with the rental file.
Where can the waste be disposed of?
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.
The disposal site is the end of the chain. The hauler should name the site on each visit record, and the site should be checked against its permit.
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. A hauler should keep the loads separate and should say so on the record.
Can a hauler lose its permit?
Yes. The rule allows a permit to be refused after an earlier denial, suspension or revocation for unsatisfactory work.
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.
What records should a site keep for hauling?
A visit record naming the hauler, the vehicle, the date, the volume removed from each unit and the disposal site used, with the disposal receipt where one is given.
The record is the proof that the waste was handled under the rule. A site should ask for it at the end of each month or each event, and keep it with the rental file.
If the disposal site named on a record does not hold a current permit, the site should raise it with the hauler before the next visit.
How should a site compare two haulers?
Compare them on the things the rule makes checkable: the current annual permit, the record of any earlier refusal, the disposal site named and that site's own permit.
A hauler that can show all of those without a pause is easy to use. One that cannot should be asked for the missing item before any visit is booked.
The comparison is written on a single sheet, so the choice can be explained later to the organizer, the landlord or the state if asked.
Options
Types and options for tennessee septage hauling and disposal
Event removal
Waste from a cluster of units emptied over an event, with the removal recorded for the event's file.
Recovery removal
Waste from recovery units after a flood, hauled and disposed of under the same permit and site rules.
Davidson County
Why tennessee septage hauling and disposal is different in Greater Nashville
The Metro area's disposal sites are checked against the rule text in use at the time of the visit, since the source text is dated September 2024.
A job across the county line into a neighboring county is handled under the same state rules and the disposal site's own permit.
One call and it gets handled.
Most tennessee septage hauling and disposal calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Where we work
Tennessee Septage Hauling and Disposal across Davidson County
- Septage Hauling in Downtown Nashville
- Septage Hauling in Midtown and Music Row
- Septage Hauling in Wedgewood-Houston
- Septage Hauling in Belle Meade and West Meade
- Septage Hauling in East Nashville
- Septage Hauling in Whites Creek and Bordeaux
- Septage Hauling in Germantown and North Nashville
- Septage Hauling in Sylvan Park and Hillsboro Village
- Septage Hauling in South Nashville and Berry Hill
- Septage Hauling in Southeast Nashville
- Septage Hauling in Vanderbilt and West End
- Septage Hauling in Green Hills and Forest Hills
- Septage Hauling in Donelson
- Septage Hauling in Nashville International Airport area
- Septage Hauling in Dickerson Pike and Inglewood
- Septage Hauling in Bellevue
- Septage Hauling in Antioch
- Septage Hauling in Madison
- Septage Hauling in Brentwood
- Septage Hauling in Hermitage
- Septage Hauling in Old Hickory
- Septage Hauling in Goodlettsville
- Septage Hauling in Hendersonville
- Septage Hauling in Joelton
- Septage Hauling in Pegram
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Servicing and Cleaning
Scheduled servicing and cleaning of portable toilets on Nashville events and job sites, set by use and by the season.
Flood and Storm Sanitation
Portable toilets for flood and storm recovery in Nashville, placed on ground that is safe to use after water has been through the area.
Permits in Brentwood, Goodlettsville and Hendersonville
Why a Nashville-area job in Brentwood, Goodlettsville, Hendersonville, Belle Meade or Pegram needs that town's own permit, and what to ask for.
Special Event Portable Toilets
Portable toilets for Metro Nashville events, planned for the special event permit and sized from the expected crowd and the length of the event.
Guides
Read before you book
What permit does a Tennessee septage hauler need?
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.
What happened to Nashville sanitation in the 2010 flood?
Heavy rain on May 1 and 2, 2010 flooded areas near the Cumberland River, Mill Creek and the Harpeth River.
FAQ
Tennessee Septage Hauling and Disposal FAQs
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 a unit itself need a Tennessee permit?
No separate rule for the chemical toilet itself was found. The hauling and disposal rules are what apply to the waste.
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.