Porta potty rentals are essential for anybody throwing a large outdoor event, but they can present a logistical nightmare for those who aren’t used to having portable toilets on hand. You need to estimate how many porta potties you will need, and you need to know where to place them where they will be the most convenient for your guests. At the same time, you will also have to adhere to local sanitation laws. This can indeed be a challenge, and while a company offering porta potties for rent will be able to give you advice, it’s best to bear some of these tips in mind when you organize your next big outdoor event.
Knowing How Many Toilets to Rent
One of the challenges of toilet rentals is knowing how many porta potties you will need for your event. This is contingent on a number of factors such as how large your event will be, how many people you are expecting and whether or not food and beverages will be served. If you are going to have fewer than 500 people at a short event, you may not need more than two or three units. If you’re hosting a longer event and are expecting the crowd to be in the thousands, you will obviously need several more units. Exceptionally large crowds at an all-day event could call for well over 100 porta potties. As a rule, err on the side of caution and plan for a larger crowd. It’s better to have too many porta potties than too few.
If you need some extra help deciding how many porta potties to rent for any given event, this handy chart from Portable Sanitation Association International should be helpful.
Placing Your Porta Potties
The key to placing your porta potties is to keep them in a central location that is easily accessible to your guests. That sounds like it should be common sense, but it does take a bit of planning. If you have a large event that covers a large area, you will have several sections to keep in mind. Your porta potties should be accessible to all of your guests no matter where they may be at any given time, but you also don’t want to arrange them in a way that could impede emergency vehicles.
If you’re organizing a smaller event, you will only need to place one or two porta potties. Naturally, this will involve much less work on your part. In this case, it’s best to keep the porta potties close to anyplace that is selling food or drinks or near any seating locations. At the same time, the porta potties should also appear to be off to the side and relatively discrete since nobody wants to think about eating food too close to what is essentially an outdoor bathroom. If you have a larger event in an area that has to be arranged in sections, try to space your porta potties apart so your attendees will never be too far away from a toilet when they need one.
Placing your porta potties isn’t just a matter of keeping them close and accessible to your guests. There are certain limitations and restrictions over where you can place porta potties. A porta potty should always be placed on dry level land, and it should be placed within 25 feet of where a maintenance truck can park for easy pumping and service.
Handicap Porta Potties and Other Considerations
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, at least five percent and no less than one porta potty at your event must be handicap-accessible. These porta potties need to be clearly marked and readily accessible. Handicap-accessible porta potties are generally larger than regular porta potties and come equipped with grab bars and are designed with a flat floor to provide wheelchair access. Since they are nearly twice the size of regular porta potties (large enough to accommodate a wheelchair making an 180-degree turn), these handicap-accessible units are also useful for parents with small children who may need extra help when using the toilet. Some of them may even come equipped with changing tables for parents with infants.
Porta Potties and Proper Sanitation
Sanitation is always an issue when dealing with toilet rentals. It is important to have easily accessible portable toilets at your event, but you also want to keep bad smells and other sanitation issues to a minimum. As long as you have enough porta potties placed in the right locations, you should be fine, but it never hurts to have a representative from your rental service of choice on hand to make sure everything is running smoothly and to provide maintenance as needed. The porta potties should also be pumped daily if you are running a multi-day event, preferably later when attendance is at its lowest or after your event is closed for the day.
With so much to do and coordinate in the days leading up to any event, it’s no wonder so many people simply forget their sanitation needs. Make sure your needs are covered with help from the portable toilet and sanitation experts from Mr. John. For years, Mr. John has provided sanitation services and temporary toilet solutions for events all throughout Western Pennsylvania and its surrounding areas. From toilet rentals and bathroom trailers to portable hand washing and sanitizing stations, Mr. John has all of your temporary toilet solutions and sanitation needs covered. Get started planning your next event, contact the experts at Mr. John today!
