Best Practices for Placement of Portable Toilets

If you’ve ever been to a large outdoor event, chances are that you’ve used a portable toilet. Maybe you’ve wondered, “How many porta potties are needed for an event like this?” What you might not have considered is the placement of these portable restrooms.

Where you put portable toilets is just as important as how many you have. There’s a lot that goes into deciding where to place portable toilets—from customer preference to ease of service. This article will cover some best practices for portable restroom placement.

Easy access for guests

When you place your portable toilets, they should be in an area where guests can easily access them. This means placing them where event-goers can see them but not in the middle of everything where they can become an eyesore. It’s recommended to place portable toilets downwind from food vendors.

Easy access for service workers

Because these toilets are portable, they’re going to be dropped off and eventually picked up. There’s often a large truck that does this, so that needs to be accounted for when placing portable toilets. They shouldn’t be placed where there’s lots of clutter, as this would prevent the trucks from getting to them.

Aim for level ground

Portable toilets should always be placed on level ground, as having one tip over would be an unmitigated disaster. When searching for level ground on the event site, you should first talk to the event planner and then follow up by measuring and making sure the ground is indeed level.

Make sure the ground is dry

The ground should not only be level, but ideally it should be dry as well. If there’s mud or puddles in front or around your portable toilets, it will not only make a mess inside them but will make them harder to remove once the event is over. Speak with the event planner about possible drainage and standing water issues and what you can do to combat them.

Account for the wind

You should be checking the forecast on and before the day of the event to gather as much data about the weather conditions as you can. We’ve already touched on using dry ground, but depending on what part of the country your event is in, and the time of year, wind could be a factor as well.

Many people recommend placing portable toilets against a wall because it provides some shelter against the wind and affords a modicum of privacy to guests.

Follow the law

If you’re deploying portable toilets for an event, there is typically an accompanying permit that outlines what you can and cannot do in certain areas. This could mean that you can’t place portable toilets on sidewalks or that they need to be certain distances away from specified areas.

It should go without saying, but make sure that your portable toilets aren’t blocking any fire hydrants or emergency equipment, and make sure that your units comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and that you have enough handicap-accessible portable toilets.

Call for your portable toilet service needs today

In addition to wondering how many porta potties to use, you should also be thinking about the placement of your portable restrooms. If you’re holding an event and need portable toilets, give us a call at Pit Stop Portables. We have over 40 years of industry experience, and we want to help you make your event run smoothly, so your guests can leave happy.

Categorised in: porta potty