A rodeo, a wedding on the quarter section, a ball tournament, a county fair: any event that runs more than a day lives or dies a little by the state of the toilets. Get it right and nobody mentions them. Get it wrong and it's the first thing people remember. Here are five steps that keep portable toilets clean and comfortable from setup to teardown.
1. Put them in the right spots
Placement does half the work before anyone arrives. A few things to get right:
- Set them on solid, level ground. Out here that means avoiding the low spot that turns to mud after one rain. A firm pad keeps units stable and keeps the path to them walkable.
- Find some shade where you can. Units in full afternoon sun get hot and ripe. A treeline or the shaded side of a building helps.
- Spread them out and keep them reachable. Group them near where people gather, but split them across the site so nobody walks half a mile, and leave room for the service truck to get in.
- Keep them accessible. Make sure at least some units and the path to them work for everyone attending.
2. Get the number right
Too few toilets is the fastest way to a bad experience and unsanitary units. The right count depends on how many people you expect, how many days you run, and whether alcohol is being served, which tends to send people more often.
When you book, tell the rental provider your headcount and run time and ask what they'd recommend. Plan for accessible units, and add a baby-changing station if families will be there. More cleaning can stretch a setup that's a little short, but it's no substitute for having enough units in the first place.
3. Stock the hygiene supplies
Clean is partly about what's inside the unit:
- Handwashing. Set up handwashing or sanitizer stations near the toilets and keep them filled. This is the single biggest thing for cutting down germs at an event.
- Paper and supplies. Keep units stocked with toilet paper and check them through the day. Running out is what turns a fine setup into a complaint.
- Garbage cans. Put bins nearby so paper towel and waste have somewhere to go besides the toilet, which keeps units from clogging.
- Signage. A simple sign pointing people to handwashing and reminding them what not to flush goes a long way.
4. Put someone in charge of them
For a bigger or longer event, assign a person or a couple of volunteers to keep an eye on the toilets. Their job is simple: check that units are stocked, flag anything that needs attention, restock supplies, and keep the area tidy. If you go the volunteer route, show them what to watch for and what to do. Someone owning the task is the difference between catching a problem early and finding out about it from a guest.
5. Line up servicing through the run
For anything multiday, the units need to be serviced during the event, not just dropped off and picked up. Talk to your provider about how often they'd service based on your crowd and how many days you're running. Staggering service so units stay available helps. Sort this out when you book, so the schedule is set before the event starts.
Booking portable toilets in rural Alberta
Standstone rents and services portable toilets for events across Lac Ste. Anne, Parkland, Sturgeon, Barrhead, and Leduc counties, and has since 1991. Tell us your dates, your headcount, and where the site is, and the office will confirm the right number of units, the servicing schedule, and availability before anything is booked.
Rent portable toilets or call the office at 780-967-2118. You can also request a quote.