Holding tank (250 gal)

Specifications

The holding tank is a sealed, low-profile polyethylene reservoir that other fixtures drain into. It has no seat, no door and no deodorizer; its job is capacity. Two numbers describe it: 250 gallons, and 24 inches tall.

For scale: a standard porta potty tank is 70 gallons and a deluxe unit is 60 gallons, so one holding tank holds the output of roughly 3.5 to 4 single units.

What's included and optional add-ons

Included

• Delivery, placement and connection within 25 miles of Hayward (Mon–Sat, 6 AM – 6 PM)
• Connection hose and fittings to the trailer or unit it serves
• Weekly pump-out on construction rentals, with the trailer or unit serviced on the same stop
• Photo, GPS and timestamp receipt per visit, with the tank level on arrival recorded
• Sales tax; 24/7 online booking; Net-30 for approved contractors

Optional add-ons

• Second weekly pump-out: $45 per week
• Single pump-out visit (ours or a third-party tank): $125 per visit
• Spill-containment pan for finished floors and roof decks: on request
• High-rise crane-lift unit draining into the tank on the same deck: $329/month
• 2-stall luxury trailer as a long-term site restroom: $4,900/month
• 7 kW generator when the trailer has no shore power: $1,200/month
• Next-day delivery: $95 (order by 2 PM) · off-hours delivery: $150
• Damage waiver: 8%, optional

250-gallon holding tank pricing

What changes the number:

• Pump-out frequency. One visit per week is included. An 8-stall trailer at a 28-day site office fills 250 gallons in about 2 days of full use, so those installs run 2 tanks or a direct sewer connection; a 2-stall trailer with 10 daily users fits the weekly cadence.
• Distance. Included within 25 miles. Emeryville at 20 miles and Redwood City at 20 miles are inside; San Francisco at 30 miles adds about $18 per service.
• Quantity. Tanks are flat-priced; two tanks on one deck share a stop, which is cheaper than two visits to one tank.
• Placement. A freight-elevator or crane placement on an upper floor is scheduled to your window; a weekend or after-6 PM move is the $150 off-hours rate.

The porta potty rental cost guide shows how tank and trailer combinations compare with renting more single units.

Get your all-in price for a holding tank in 30 seconds: Instant price · or call (650) 977-2883.

250-gallon holding tank vs. other options

A holding tank is never the whole answer; it extends something else. The table compares the fixtures it typically serves, and the one it replaces.

The decision rule: if a sewer cleanout is within hose reach of the trailer, connect directly and skip the tank. If not, one tank per 2-stall trailer, two tanks per 4- or 8-stall trailer, and set the pump-out cadence from the headcount.

Best for

• Restroom trailers with no sewer hookup. Wedding venues, vineyards and parks rarely have a cleanout where the trailer parks. The tank sits under the trailer and is pumped with the trailer at pickup; the events page covers trailer placement.
• Tenant-improvement floors in occupied buildings. A deluxe unit or crane unit on the 14th floor drains to a tank that is pumped weekly, so the freight elevator sees one visit instead of three. San Francisco and Emeryville office conversions are the typical order; see the construction page.
• High-rise decks. The crane unit's 50-gallon tank is small by design; a holding tank on the same deck restores the interval.
• Long-term site offices with a trailer. A 2-stall trailer as the superintendent's restroom for a 9-month job in Redwood City runs on one tank and weekly service.
• Film base camps. Production trailers and talent restrooms at a locked-down location drain to tanks so no pump truck enters during shooting hours; the film page covers quiet-window service.
• Public-agency emergency staging. Shelters and incident bases where trailers run for weeks; the government page covers 24/7 dispatch and the exportable service log.

Site requirements and placement

• Ground: firm and level; a full tank is heavy and a slope moves the inlet above the trailer's drain. On soil we place plywood under the tank.
• Position: within hose reach of the trailer or unit drain, below the drain outlet so waste flows by gravity. Under the trailer is the usual spot, on the service-truck side.
• Truck access: the pump truck parks within about 60 feet with a straight hose run. Tell us at booking if the tank will be behind a fence, gate or in a garage.
• Elevated floors and decks: spill-containment pan, pallet-jack path through a double door, and the spec sheet's full weight checked against the slab rating by your engineer.
• Clearance: 24 inches of height under the trailer or in the alcove, plus room to open the pump-out port.
• Public right-of-way: a tank on a street or sidewalk is part of the permitted footprint. In San Francisco the Public Works Street Space permit covers it; in Oakland the Obstruction Permit applies and No Parking signs go up 72 hours ahead.

Service and cleaning standard

Each weekly visit is a 6-step stop, and because the tank serves another fixture, both are serviced together.

1. Record the tank level on arrival and photograph the gauge or sight line.
2. Pump the 250-gallon tank fully through the outlet port.
3. Rinse the tank and flush the inlet hose.
4. Inspect the connection, fittings and spill pan for leaks; tighten or replace.
5. Service the trailer or unit draining into the tank on the same stop.
6. Photograph, GPS-stamp, timestamp and text the receipt.

Waste is disposed only at permitted receiving facilities: EBMUD Resource Recovery at 2020 Wake Avenue, Oakland, for East Bay routes; the City of San José hauler program for the South Bay.

Compliance notes

• Health & Safety Code §117400 — chemical-toilet haulers register with the county health officer, and pump trucks are county-permitted. Holding-tank waste falls under the same rule and goes to the same permitted facilities as toilet waste.
• Cal/OSHA 8 CCR §1526 and §1527 — the tank does not change the ratio: one toilet and one handwashing facility per 20 employees. It changes how often the fixtures need service. Text at dir.ca.gov §1526.
• Spill containment — on finished floors, roof decks and near storm drains, use the containment pan; a 250-gallon release into a storm inlet is a reportable discharge under municipal stormwater rules.
• ADA 2010 Standards §203.2 — worker-only construction fixtures are exempt from accessibility requirements; a trailer on a tank at a public event is not, and needs the 5% accessible provision covered elsewhere in the cluster.