Mobile & Temporary Wastewater Treatment

Whether it’s to fill in during repairs or to provide sanitation for temporary housing installations, AUC has solutions for you

A temporary wastewater treatment problem doesn’t require a permanent solution.

For example, if a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) or investor-owned utility plant is struggling with compliance and needs to go offline for repairs or upgrades, AUC Group can deliver a mobile, temporary bypass plant from our modular fleet under a flexible timeline-based lease.

In another scenario, if a project on a finite timeline — such as a disaster relief effort or workforce housing installation — needs wastewater treatment, mobile temporary plants can be delivered and set up quickly even in remote areas, and be removed when the work is complete.

Wastewater Treatment for Temporary Workforce Housing
Temporary, Mobile Bypass Treatment Plant

Applications and Benefits of Portable Treatment Solutions

AUC has become the go-to for delivery of turnkey mobile bypass plants with capacities of up to 1,000,000 GPD. Our temporary plants can address diverse scenarios, including:

  • Use during projects with a finite timeline.
  • Providing treatment during emergencies.
  • Filling in for existing plants that are down for repair, maintenance, or upgrade.
  • Providing service while a new plant is under construction.

Temporary and mobile bypass plants are pre-constructed tanks and are treated with a high-build epoxy coating system. These plants offer several advantages. For instance, they:

  • Minimize breaks in service.
  • Deploy and decommission quickly.
  • Simplify logistics and construction.
  • Are delivered under timeline-based leases.
  • Meet or exceed most permitted effluent guidelines.
  • Offer a cost-efficient alternative to pump-and-haul.

Mobile and Temporary Treatment Case Studies

Emergency Mobile Service for Harris County, Texas

A Municipal Utility District plant was struggling and needed repairs. AUC responded to the emergency with a 400,000 GPD temporary bypass wastewater treatment plant. In only 30 days, AUC commissioned the mobile plant and diverted all wastewater flows from the community through it during the emergency plant repair. The plant solved a difficult but temporary problem without overbuilding and leaving more capital on the table.

Temporary Wastewater Treatment Plant in Texas

Wastewater Treatment for Temporary Workforce Housing

When the Camp wildfire scorched numerous California communities, including Paradise, in 2018, it displaced 50,000 people and burned more than 18,000 structures. A remote man camp was built on 5 acres between Oroville and Chico to house the 2,200 emergency response contractors who converged on the region for a year to complete the massive cleanup.

AUC quickly met the challenge of treating the camp’s wastewater with a 100,000 GPD temporary wastewater treatment plant delivered under a one-year rental agreement. The full-featured plant included coarse screening, aeration, sludge holding, secondary clarification, and disinfection. When the work was done, the contractors rolled out, and so did the temporary plant.

Temporary and Mobile Wastewater Treatment at Man Camp
Packaged Wastewater Treatment System

Adaptable Solutions: Scale Up or Down as Needed

Flexibility is important when demand diverges from projections. Because our mobile, temporary plants are modular in design, it’s possible to scale a project up or down easily by simply adding or removing modules.

AUC also allows customers the big advantage of financing projects in-house, with flexible, timeline-based leases that deliver solutions for only as long as needed, freeing up more capital for the customer.

Experience the AUC difference: decades of expertise in infrastructure delivery, combined with a flexible approach that puts your needs first. Contact us to learn more.

Mobile & Temporary Wastewater Treatment FAQ

When should we use a mobile or temporary wastewater treatment plant instead of a permanent solution?

Mobile systems make sense when the need is time-bound or transitional. Common scenarios include:

  • Emergency response after storms or infrastructure failure
  • Construction or commissioning gaps between phases
  • Capacity shortfalls during rapid growth
  • Plant repairs or regulatory-driven upgrades

If the issue is short-term or tied to a defined project window, temporary treatment can keep service online without forcing premature capital investment.

Can this serve as a bypass plant for a municipal Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) during upgrades or outages?

Yes. Temporary bypass plants are a core use case.

When an existing municipal facility must go offline for rehabilitation, expansion, or equipment replacement, a mobile treatment system can maintain compliance and uninterrupted service. This helps utilities avoid service disruptions, enforcement risk, and community impact.

How quickly can AUC mobilize and commission a temporary system?

Temporary bypass plants are engineered for rapid deployment and can be commissioned in as little as 30 days in emergencies.

Actual timelines depend on site readiness, flow requirements, and permit coordination, but modular prefabrication significantly shortens the delivery window compared to stick-built construction.

Who operates and maintains the system during deployment?

In most cases, the customer operates the system with AUC technical support.

How does temporary treatment compare to pump-and-haul?

For higher volumes or longer deployment periods, temporary treatment is often more cost-efficient than pump-and-haul.

Pump-and-haul costs escalate quickly due to:

  • Fuel and transportation
  • Tipping fees
  • Scheduling and logistics
  • Increased traffic and community disruption

Temporary treatment reduces hauling dependency while maintaining regulatory control on site.

What happens at the end of the project—how is decommissioning handled?

Systems are designed for quick decommissioning and removal once the temporary need ends.

Equipment is demobilized, the site is restored, and the utility transitions to permanent infrastructure without stranded assets.