Overview
ISO 24599:2025 - Guidelines for the management of mobile toilets under epidemic situations - gives practical guidance for the safe use, installation and operation of electrically powered mobile toilets that connect to water and electricity during public epidemic emergencies (PEEs). The standard addresses needs from the perspectives of users, operators and suppliers, and focuses on preventing pathogen transmission (notably respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases). It excludes events such as unexplained disease clusters, major food or occupational poisoning.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO 24599 outlines the main technical and management elements required for mobile sanitation in epidemic contexts, including:
- Mobile toilet components: structural enclosure, water supply, flushing unit, hand-washing, illumination, disinfection, ventilation, deodorization and drainage systems.
- Water, electrical and drainage interfaces: recommendations for connecting mobile units to public water and electricity systems and sewerage when applicable.
- Performance criteria: functional and safety considerations for reliable operation, transportability and reuse.
- Site selection, installation and disassembly: guidance on siting, hoisting/placement, external connections, packing, transportation and storage.
- Environmental and risk management: minimizing contamination and operational risks in PEEs.
- Planning, maintenance and testing: operation procedures, cleaning and disinfection protocols, waste transportation, maintenance instructions and test methods.
- Health and safety: protections and procedures for cleaning/maintenance personnel, waste tank drivers and users.
- Rapid response mechanism: measures to support quick deployment and scale-up of mobile toilets during outbreaks.
- Informative annexes: e.g., reference ranges for housing dimensions and materials.
Applications
ISO 24599 is intended to support safe sanitation where permanent facilities are overwhelmed or unavailable during epidemics. Typical use cases include:
- Field hospitals, quarantine zones and mobile cabin hospitals
- Temporary settlements and emergency response sites
- Rapid-deployment sanitation in developing regions with limited infrastructure
- Event or mass-gathering contingency planning for infectious disease outbreaks
By following the standard, organizations can reduce faecal–oral and other transmission risks, improve user and worker safety, and streamline rapid deployment and reuse of mobile toilets.
Who should use this standard
- Municipal and national emergency planners
- Sanitation service providers and waste transport companies
- Mobile toilet manufacturers and suppliers
- Healthcare facility and field hospital managers
- Event organizers and humanitarian responders
Related standards
- ISO 24513:2019 (vocabulary for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems) - referenced for terms and definitions.
(Prepared by ISO/TC 224.)
Keywords: ISO 24599:2025, mobile toilets, epidemic management, mobile sanitation, emergency portable toilets, sanitation guidelines, public epidemic emergencies.