Satellite Sanitrax toilets are the world’s first on-land modular restrooms powered by vacuum-technology. Each module contains three full size flushable toilets with LED lights and infrared sensors to track the number of uses. The modules are powered by a vacuum system that removes the waste and dumps directly into a sanitary sewer or a holding tank that can be located up to two hundred meters away. From start to finish, Satellite’s Vacuum Technology is a closed system preventing any unwanted odors from escaping, creating an inviting atmosphere of comfort and safety.

The toilets are great for medium to large events, festivals, humanitarian aid programs, military operations, and construction sites. One operator can transport up to twenty-six modules (or seventy-eight toilets) on a 53' trailer and deploy the whole fleet quickly on their own. The ability to set up fast and pump waste away using vacuum technology decreases operating costs significantly. In fact, operators see up to a 90 percent savings on water and venues see an increase of 40 percent on food and beverage sales. That is truly a “WIN-WIN”!

Creating the world's first on-land modular restroom powered by vacuum technology presented a significant challenge. One of the initial decisions involved selecting materials and coatings that were both cost-effective and resistant to harsh corrosive conditions, including exposure to human waste, alcohol, and various atmospheric elements. Ensuring easy and affordable transportation and setup was another crucial aspect of the design, considering these modules would be delivered daily to large events, refugee camps, military missions, and construction sites across the United States. Therefore, finding a solution that could be efficient and keep operating costs and overhead to a minimum was a top priority. The choice to hot-dip galvanized steel frames proved ideal due to their cost-effectiveness, unmatched corrosion protection, durability, strength, extended life expectancy, and ease of design. Given their experience with hot-dip galvanizing, the fabricator collaborated with the galvanizer during the early design stages to ensure the product was well-suited for the coating process.

The Sanitrax design was quite complex, requiring careful consideration of venting and drain hole placement prior to fabrication. To optimize the transport capacity, the modules were designed to collapse. Each unit comprises two hot-dip galvanized steel frames, each weighing 500 lbs., that seamlessly slide together, allowing for collapsibility. The ingenuity of this design allows for twenty-six units and seventy-eight toilets to be transported, rather than thirteen units and thirty-nine toilets. This unique approach reduced freight costs by a remarkable 50 percent, making the involvement of the galvanizer crucial to ensure achievable design tolerances post-galvanizing. The selection of hot-dip galvanized steel enables unparalleled corrosion protection in harsh environments and the durability to withstand decades of rugged material handling with forklifts.

This groundbreaking portable vacuum-powered restroom module is poised to make a substantial impact on the portable restroom industry. In 2022, the global portable restroom industry was valued at $19 billion (US), with projections indicating an increase to $45 billion by 2032. The sheer size of the portable restroom industry, coupled with the anticipated growth of this product, has the potential to significantly influence not only the portable restroom sector but also the hot-dip galvanizing industry.