Northeast Sanitation Blog

There are many facets involved in planning a successful outdoor special event, whether you have 10 or 10,000 guests. When people call for portable toilets, one of the first questions we hear is – how many portable toilets will I need for my event or for my job site? Well it’s not an exact science, but there are some things you need to consider. Here they are:

• How many guests (or workers) do you expect?
• How long will the event (or job) last?
• Will alcohol be served? Events where food and alcohol are served necessitate the need for added restroom facilities.  Also, facilities that include hand washing are important.   
• What is the weather likely to be?
• What level of physical activity is involved?
• Will there be guests with special needs or young children in attendance?  Guests with special needs may require a more accessible portable restroom.  Also, parents with young children may need a larger area within the restroom for easier navigation.

If you are holding a large outdoor event, restrooms should be clearly marked, easy to get to and there should be an adequate number for the amount of guests (or workers).

Here is a chart to help you begin your planning.

This chart is based on a 50/50 mix of men and women with no service for the restrooms during the event.

Finally, you will need to decide on what type of portable toilets you require. The least expensive are the basic models that provide a seated toilet area or a seat and a urinal. If you require an accessible toilet that meets ADA standards, these are also available and will aid in making the restrooms available  for all. ADA portable toilets are also great to use as family restrooms because they provide more space. You can also provide separate portable sinks for hand washing. The luxury option for weddings, charity, corporate, or higher end events are the mobile restrooms, which are air conditioned, have porcelain sinks, a music system and vanities. There are also ADA compliant luxury restroom trailers.

Choosing portable toilets means understanding how many and what type of restrooms you will need. This is determined by the number of people attending the event or working on the job site, as well as how long the units will be needed.

Everyone is familiar one form or another of portable toilets. Everyone, who’s ever been to an outdoor concert, a wedding outdoors or on the beach, or has some exposure to the construction industry is familiar with a portable restroom. Construction sites and camping sites are the two places where the traditional Porta Potty units are most commonly seen.

Restrooms can present a challenge in various locations or venues but portable toilets have some innovative designs these days to suit every need. If you are a camper you are likely aware of the portable toilets provided on camp sites. For large parties and wedding events, there are portable restroom trailers for rent similar to any home bathroom.
There are many models and types of portable toilets available. They range from the larger, mobile restrooms units that are attached to trailers and are essentially the same as a rest room that you would find in a hotel to single units found on construction sites and ball fields. There are ADA and handicap accessible single units available as well as ADA restroom trailers too.

Take a look at the variety of mobile restrooms available today. They take so much of the work out of planning an event, and with the various styles and levels of luxury, your options for venues increases exponentially.  

Luxury portable restrooms can solve all of your problems when holding outdoor events. These restrooms from NSC Restrooms are sparkling clean, upscale units that will please even the most discerning guests. These luxury portable restrooms are not the portable toilets you find at the fairgrounds, or ball fields, this is a totally new luxury portable restroom trailer. 

These restroom trailers are delivered on their own double-axle trailer and are set up by our professionals in convenient, discreet locations.  Fully equipped with clean, running water, flushable toilets, climate control and a private, and comfortable lavatory as well as deluxe sinks with lighted vanities, overhead lighting and AM/FM stereo systems with hi-def televisions. 

Mobile luxury restrooms can be used for outside events or for long-term use and can accommodate small or large groups. Small scale functions or large corporate events would all be served well from a luxury restroom trailer. They are also very popular for outdoor or home weddings.  

It has been amazing to us here at NSC Restrooms, all the different types of people who need to rent portable toilets. You'd actually be surprised about the different number of people and organizations who need some kind of portable toilet rental. The people looking come from all different backgrounds, and industries throughout New England and have all different reasons for making the search.

Some of the people we have helped have been organizing charity events, or huge music, theme, or agricultural festivals. Then there have been those planning garden parties, and small outdoor get togethers, and huge outdoor weddings that have needed our luxury restroom trailers. We have worked with construction companies bringing portable toilets to the job site, event planners who need portable restrooms for corporate events, and we have brought portable toilets to the ball fields of many cities and towns.

Whatever your reason for needing to rent a portable restroom, be sure to ask the right questions, and hire the right vendor. Many situations can occur so you not only want the nicest, cleanest portable restrooms, but you want the company that will ensure that you are also satisfied with their customer service and response time.

If you have ever been to any kind of outdoor festival event, you've probably encountered the average portable restroom. Plastic individual restrooms that usually have a line outside them waiting, certainly they do not have a fantastic odor, and they only get emptied when the trucks come to empty them out.

Luxury mobile restrooms on the other hand, have all the conveniences of your bathroom at home, no matter where outside you happen to be. Mobile Restrooms are able to provide running water and electricity for lights, heating and air conditioning.
 
Depending on the size of the restroom trailer rental, they will have either individual restrooms or multiple toilet stalls and urinals. However, the true mark of luxury mobile restrooms is the fact that visitors cannot tell the difference between using these and the facilities in their own homes. To that end, all luxury mobile restrooms are finished to a very high standard, often incorporating aesthetically pleasing wood paneling, ceramic sinks and toilets, and fake marble into the decor.

Luxury mobile restroom trailers are in a portable restroom league of their own. Luxury mobile restrooms allow users to feel at home. The experience for your guests is worth it.

The town fields are beginning to open again. Pretty soon baseball, lacrosse and spring soccer will again be played outdoors and you need to find the mobile restrooms for the Park and Rec Department. NSC Restrooms is your answer for mobile restrooms for parks, open spaces, schools, festivals, and town and city events. We carry individual toilets, flushable portable units, ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible portable toilets. With all of these choices, we have the portable toilet for your town needs. We also provide separate hand wash stations for food handlers. Our mobile restrooms can either serve as the only source of sanitation facility or they could add supplemental support to permanent facilities.

No one wants to use a portable restroom. So why not provide the cleanest, most well maintained mobile restroom you can? We pride ourselves on an unsurpassed level of customer service. And with the multiple options, quality and quantity of mobile restrooms we have available, we can meet the needs of the Parks and Recreation Departments of towns throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
 
All of our portable toilets come with 2 rolls of quality toilet paper, antibacterial hand wash, locking doors, and are well-ventilated. We have the best customer service in the industry; ask anyone who has used us. Most likely we can deliver your mobile restroom next day and we have the facilities to accommodate long or short-term events. Our portable toilets are great for campsites, marathons, tailgates, parades, and other events. Call NSC Restrooms today for all of your sanitation needs.

It is important to have the correct amount of portable toilets for your special event. Without enough portable restrooms, you run the risk of having dissatisfied guests. The last thing you want are long lines or complaints about the lack of portable toilets or that they are dirty. Plan a successful event with plenty of restrooms for the amount of people in attendance. Portable restroom rentals are one of the most important features of special event planning.

In order to plan a corporate or municipal event, you need to dates and back up dates, make a budget, choose and reserve the location, obtain permits and coordinate transportation and parking, as well as plan for event registration. And, depending on the type of event, some other tasks may include decorations and themes, tents, tables and chair layout, and contracting electric and lighting crews, and audio/visual companies. And for outdoor events, depending on the size, add to that to-do list: security, portable toilets, emergency and health care services, and clean up and sanitation.

The true first step in planning an event is to prepare thoroughly. The most important thing to figure out is the total expected number of guests. That number is going to affect everything else. The amount of food, the number of tables, and the amount of portable restrooms or restroom trailers are all dependent on the maximum number of people that are planning to attend. If you are unsure of an exact number, round up. Too much is always better than not enough.

WEBSITE BUILDS BONDS

At first, McNamara relied on established business contacts — the “golden Rolodex,” as he puts it — and word-of-mouth referrals. But three years ago, he realized the company also required an Internet presence. The current website was revised about a year ago, and he says it’s a continual work in progress.

“In today’s world, people want to know you have a website,” he adds. “Everyone should have one that shows their products and explains what they do. But you also have to deliver on what you say on the website.”

To keep the website interesting, McNamara posts a weekly blog that talks about a wide array of issues, from strategic placement of units on construction sites to how many restrooms a customer might need for a wedding or party.

“We aim for information people can use,” he says. “At the same time, we’re also always looking for creative ideas to have some fun with it, too.

We ask our drivers for ideas, and they’ve come up with topics like how to protect units on site, putting stone pads in front of units when it’s muddy, placement of hand sinks and so on. It’s all aimed at benefitting the end-user.”

IMAGE IS MARKETING, TOO

NSC also emphasizes less subtle forms of marketing, like new, clean and well-maintained trucks; uniformed, clean-cut drivers who are courteous and professional; and use of new technology, such as global positioning systems, which helps improve customer service.

“We purchase anything that makes us more competitive in the marketplace,” he says. “We try to stay ahead of the curve on that because it saves you money in the long run.”

The NCS fleet includes a 2006 Ford LCF with a 350-gallon waste/150-gallon steel tank, made by Best Enterprises Inc.; a 2007 International 4300 with a 1,500-waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress (Progress Tank LLC) tank; a 2008 Hino 268 with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater aluminum Progress tank; a 2008 International 4300 with a 750-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater flat steel tank from Crescent Tank Mfg.; two 2010 Hino 268s with Progress aluminum tanks (one 1,150-gallon waste/350-gallon freshwater and the other with a 1,500-gallon waste/500-gallon freshwater); and a 2007 Ford LCF flatbed truck for deliveries. All of the trucks use Masport Inc. pumps.

NSC also owns 1,100 standard portable restrooms, mostly Integra units from PolyPortables Inc.; 60 handicapped-accessible units (30 made by Satellite Industries Inc. and 30 made by PolyPortables); and two restroom trailers, a 15-footer made by JAG Mobile Solutions Inc. and a 24-footer manufactured by Comforts of Home Services Inc.

The upscale JAG trailer has four 18-inch, flat-screen televisions. Customers who run charity events or weddings often burn their own DVDs with photo slide shows and play them continuously on the TVs.

“We’ve gotten lots of positive feedback about the TVs. I’m not sure it makes us more money, but you know people talk about it,’’ McNamara says. “New equipment is a great marketing tool. We wash and clean trucks every day. We want to create the perception that we’re the best company out there … when people see our trucks, they remember us.”

GPS technology helps improve customer service. NCS uses a system made by Navtrak Inc. that provides detailed information, from how fast technicians drive to the duration of a service call to the exact time the vacuum power on trucks is turned on and off. If a customer questions whether a technician made a service call, NCS can e-mail them a GPS report that proves they did.

If there’s any question at all in a customer’s mind, though, McNamara follows the premise that the customer is always right, which means a technician will go back and re-service the units in question again. Most times, however, the report does the trick, and customers realize later on that, for example, a landscaping crew came on-site unbeknownst to them, which explains why units were full or dirty so soon after being serviced.

Can I rent a portable restroom for just one day?
Absolutely. Our special event restroom trailers and individual units can be rented by the day or for weekend rentals. We also rent units monthly.

Will the portable restroom be clean for my event?
Yes they will. NSC Restrooms take pride in the condition of our portable restrooms.

Where will you place my portable toilet?
We will place them per your instruction, however, we may have to relocate them for servicing and will make suggestions to you to ensure your guests/employees and our service people can safely access the restroom.

How far in advance do I need to reserve a portable toilet?
During peak times, we can possibly sell out, so as much lead time as you can give us. But as a minimum, we would like to have 48 hours notice and we can have your restroom delivered. For large special events or large construction projects, a week or more lead time is appreciated and advisable.

Where does the waste go after it has been pumped?
The waste water is taken to local waste water facilities and disposed of according to the regulations required by the facilities.

Am I required to have porta potties on my job site?
Most town and city ordinances spell out the requirements for portable restrooms on a job site. Town Inspectors will often require that the portable toilet is either ordered or has arrived on the site before approving the inspection.

What is the frequency of service on my portable toilet?
We service our portable restrooms once a week in order to keep them safe, clean, sanitized and stocked with supplies. If needed, we can supply service more often.

Does a portable restroom on my construction job site really cut down on expenses and time?
By supplying a portable restroom on your job site you cut down on the amount of time your employees are searching for and traveling to an alternate facility.

The following chart has been supplied by PSAI (portable sanitation association international). The annual cost of 10 minutes of wasted toilet time per employee, per day:

Hourly Rate	5 Employees	10 Employees
$7.00	$1,487.50	$2,975.00
$8.00	$1,670.00	$3,400.00
$10.00	$2,125.00	$4,250.00
$13.00	$2,762.50	$5,525.00
$15.00	$3,187.50	$6,375.00

 

NSC Restrooms will be participating in the 12th Annual Baystate Bridal Show Expo which will be held at the Hynes Convention Center this weekend, January 22-23. At booth 702 we will be showing our Restroom Trailer which is perfect for any outside event. The 15’ and 24’ portable restroom trailers are complete with vanities, wood floors, flushing toilets, ceramic sinks with running water, music, lights, high definition televisions, HVAC systems, and vanities. Every bride looking at outdoor venues should see these trailers.

The Baystate Bridal Show is becoming a tradition in the Boston area for Brides-To-Be. The Bridal Show will be combining fashion shows with a huge vendor presence, providing a unique opportunity to shop for every aspect of your wedding needs in one location.

You can get to the Hynes Convention Center from all major highways and Boston's mass transit system. Come see us at booth 702.