Polish family allotment gardens, known as ROD (Rodzinne Ogrody Działkowe), are governed by the Act of 13 December 2013 on family allotment gardens (Ustawa z dnia 13 grudnia 2013 r. o rodzinnych ogrodach działkowych, Dz.U. 2014 poz. 40). The largest association running them is the Polish Allotment Gardeners’ Association (Polski Związek Działkowców, PZD): according to PZD figures for the end of 2025, its gardens number about 4,600 with nearly 900,000 plots. Many plots have no sewer connection, and the toilet remains one of the most common problems of the season. Below is what the act and the PZD rules say about garden sheds and waste tanks, and how to fit a waterless urinal under these conditions.
What the Act and the PZD Rules Say
The act came into force on 19 January 2014. It defines allotment gardens as public-utility facilities; each garden is run by a single garden association, which adopts the garden rules. PZD gardens follow the garden rules adopted by the PZD National Council (1 October 2015, amended 28 June 2018). Living on a plot is prohibited (Article 12 of the act), and a garden shed may have a footprint of up to 35 m² and a height of up to 5 m with a pitched roof or 4 m with a flat roof (Article 2(9a) of the act, § 44 of the rules).
The rules list sealed holding tanks for liquid waste among the installations a plot may have (§ 41). Under § 43, before building such a tank the plot holder must notify the garden board in writing and attach a drawing showing where the tank sits in relation to the plot boundaries, in a spot with free access for a septic truck. The plot holder is responsible for sanitary conditions and for protecting groundwater, and the tank must be operated and emptied in line with generally applicable law.
A Urinal in a Shed Without Sewerage
An allotment plot is for growing and relaxing, not for living in, so the sanitary setup in a shed usually has to work without any mains connection. A waterless urinal fits this scenario: it needs no flushing water and no sewer.
Standard or Standard Plus (with a Ø70 mm ventilation port) is fixed to the shed wall, usually in 5–7 minutes, with fixings chosen to suit the wall. The stepped outlet Ø24/32/40 mm fits hoses and connectors of these diameters, so urine can be led to a canister standing in a corner of the shed or in a box outside. All models can be compared in the Pi-Pi waterless urinal catalogue.
Alongside a Composting Toilet
Pi-Pi takes the load off the toilet: men use the urinal standing up. The urinal does not replace the toilet; it works alongside it. Together with a peat or separating toilet, a gardener’s family has a convenient setup for weekends and longer stays during the season.
Polish Winter and LLDPE
A garden shed is usually unheated, and in winter temperatures drop well below freezing, especially in the east of the country and in the mountains. Polypropylene (PP) homopolymer becomes brittle at around 0 °C. Pi-Pi is made of LLDPE, which stays flexible down to −40 °C. Before winter, simply drain what is left in the hose and the canister so that freezing water does not burst the container.
Shared Toilets in the Garden
Under the act, community halls, buildings and other shared facilities are part of the garden infrastructure, which is owned by the garden association. The PZD rules state that gardens should have sanitary facilities open to everyone (§ 35), and the garden board keeps the common areas clean (§ 36). Where a community hall or a shared toilet point has no sewer connection, one or two Standard or Standard Plus urinals can be fitted the same way as in a shed. Garden boards can ask about order terms for their garden.
Before You Install
Agree with the garden board on how the canister will be emptied: the board oversees compliance with the garden rules, and municipalities (gminy) have their own rules for handling liquid waste. If you plan a holding tank, first submit the written notice with the drawing that § 43 requires. The act allows the association to terminate the plot agreement if, despite a written warning, the plot holder keeps using the plot in breach of the rules (Article 36(3)).
Conclusion
The ROD act and the PZD rules set the size of a garden shed and the procedure for building a waste tank, and how the canister is emptied is best agreed with the garden board. A Pi-Pi urinal made of LLDPE is usually fixed to the shed wall in 5–7 minutes, its stepped outlet Ø24/32/40 mm fits hoses and connectors of these diameters, and the material stays flexible down to −40 °C. Gardeners order Standard or Standard Plus through the website.
