SFA Saniflo’s Pump Solutions Overcome Plumbing Challenges in Modular Patient Rooms for FEMA’s Tornado Relief Project

Problem

ROLLING FORK, MISSISSIPPI — Guardian Booth, a leader in prefabricated modular structures, was tasked with creating modular patient rooms for a retrofitted community center funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to serve as a temporary hospital following an outbreak of devastating tornadoes in 2020.

The project presented several significant challenges, requiring the modular structures to meet strict ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) compliance standards. In addition, the structures had to include fully equipped bathrooms and remain entirely portable to preserve the integrity of the original building.

With 12 modular units, each 10×20-foot patient room required an ADA-compliant bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower. Traditional plumbing methods were not feasible due to height limitations, as the modular units could only be raised 3.5 inches above the concrete floor.

According to Ben Johnson, the Director of Sales, Marketing, and Engineering at Guardian Booth, the biggest challenge they faced was the impact of this height restriction on the plumbing for their booths. Guardian Booth could have elevated the platforms to allow for more room for plumbing, but raising the platform to accommodate utilities underneath triggered another issue. For every inch of the rise, the ramp needed to extend one foot to comply with ADA specifications, making the ramps impractically long.

“Additionally, space constraints also limited how much we could raise the platform without creating a tripping hazard or violating code requirements for width,” Johnson explains, “We couldn’t make any permanent modifications to the building, such as breaking through the floor to install drainage systems. This made maintaining proper drainage slopes and managing wastewater extremely challenging.”

Johnson collaborated with Guardian Booth’s engineer to explore different options to resolve these challenges and meet all the project’s demands. After extensive research and consultation, they chose two different SFA Saniflo products to overcome the challenges.

“We called and explained our challenges, shared our plans, and Saniflo Customer Service reviewed everything thoroughly,” Johnson comments. “They walked us through our options and provided valuable insights. Once we outlined the specific challenges, they offered great solutions. After several conversations, we ultimately landed on the Sanicubic simplex grinding lift station and the Sanishower drain pump.”

Solution

The layout consisted of a 93×80-foot space accommodating 12 booths, each featuring a patient room with a sink, backflush toilet, and shower. Guardian Booth and their client hired a local plumber to install one Sanicubic 1 unit connected to two toilets and two sinks while the shower drained into the Sanishower.

Product Profile: Sanishower Gray Water Drain Pump

The Sanishower is a compact, medium-duty, gray water pump for residential and commercial applications. Ideal for showers, sinks, laundry tubs, and similar fixtures, it pumps wastewater up to 12 feet vertically or 100 feet horizontally. Its small size fits under shower bases or inside cabinetry, making it versatile for tight spaces.

Other key features:

• 0.2 HP motor for reliable performance
• Low inlets for easy installation
• Rotating discharge elbow with non-return valve
• Quiet operation for home or business use
• Certified to UL 778 and CSA C22.2 standards
• Certified by CSA and listed by IAPMO for nationwide compliance

According to Johnson, the Sanicubic units were positioned directly on the floor rather than under it. The discharge line ran 15 feet vertically and 70 feet horizontally before connecting to a main pipe connected to the municipal sewer. The Sanishower had its own dedicated discharge line to ensure proper drainage.

The installation went smoothly, thanks to the quick and helpful responses from SFA Saniflo Customer Service. Johnson and others at Guardian Booth expressed their appreciation and are eager to use SFA Saniflo’s products for similar applications.

“Now that we have familiarized ourselves with this type of setup for remote applications, we can definitely see using this system more,” Johnson states, “It’s ideal for structures that don’t have a standard plumbing setup, and it’s perfect for those unique scenarios where a pump system is necessary.”

Product Profile: Sanicubic 1 Simplex Grinder Lift Station

The Sanicubic 1 is a heavy-duty simplex (one-pump) grinder system with a one-horsepower motor. It is designed to pump away wastewater from multiple bathroom and kitchen fixtures in a single structure.

This system can discharge waste up to 36 feet vertically or 328 feet horizontally. It is equipped with a heavy-duty grinder system, making it suitable for uncontrolled, heavy-traffic environments in residential and commercial applications; i.e., rental units, offices, and warehouses where the plumbing system will likely receive rough treatment. The product is specially designed to handle larger sanitary products that may have been mistakenly or carelessly flushed down the toilet, including condoms, sanitary napkins, Q-tips, dental floss, etc., as well as large-diameter solids.

Other key features:

• Four-year limited warranty
• Capable of discharging up to 50 gallons per minute
• Four inlets: 1½-inch or 4-inch
• External control and alarm
• Enclosure-rated IP68 (waterproof)
• Easy-access service panel
• Employs internal air pressure switches with triple redundancy, automatically cycling the unit on and off
• Certified by CSA and listed by IAPMO for nationwide compliance

Results

Since installing the unit, Johnson and the Guardian Booth team have assured their client that the units were up to their standards. If any issues arose, they were confident that the SFA Saniflo service team could quickly resolve them.

Purchasing from a manufacturer with a North American salesforce ensures faster, more efficient customer care. Communicating with SFA Saniflo’s U.S.-based customer service agents ensures quicker responses, reliable problem-solving, and effective communication.

“From a customer service standpoint, Saniflo did a great job taking care of us and ensuring we had everything we needed,” says Johnson, who notes that the pumps have performed well since the project’s completion in September 2024.