Restroom questions from El Paso job sites and events
Most questions fall into four groups: how many units a site needs, how the heat and the monsoon affect the work, what the state and the city require, and what the paperwork should show. The provider confirms each answer for the site.
- Standard, ADA, flushable and trailer units
- Road crews, subdivisions, parades, races, rodeo and game days
- Texas or New Mexico: rules follow where the unit stands
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Counts and placement
How many portable toilets does an event need?
There is no El Paso toilet-per-attendee ratio written into city rules that we could confirm. The state's mass-gathering sanitation standard outside a city works to about one toilet seat per 50 people, and the city looks at restrooms against expected attendance. Confirm the number with the City of El Paso permit office and the provider.
Does a job site need accessible units?
Under the federal ADA standards, about 5 percent of portable units at each cluster must be accessible, with a minimum of one often cited. The provider confirms the count for your cluster, and the unit needs a firm, level surface and an accessible route.
How many toilets does a construction crew need?
OSHA's construction table sets the number by crew size. Give the provider the headcount and the shifts, and it will confirm the count against the table.
Heat, monsoon and the desert
Do units need more servicing in summer?
Providers commonly service more often in summer heat, and the schedule is agreed before delivery. The first triple-digit days usually arrive in late May or June.
Can a monsoon storm damage a unit?
A unit on a low spot can be flooded. The monsoon runs from about 15 June to 30 September, and flash floods here are arroyo floods that can arrive under clear skies upstream. Place units on high ground and tell the provider about any arroyo nearby.
State and city rules
What does the city require for a festival or parade?
The City of El Paso's temporary-use application asks for a layout that shows where portable restrooms will stand, and the permit office considers restrooms against expected attendance. Ask the permit office for the current requirement before you apply.
When does a Texas mass-gathering permit apply?
Texas Health and Safety Code chapter 751 covers mass gatherings held outside a municipality that expect more than 2,500 people, or more than 500 where at least 51 percent are under 21 and alcohol is served. A county runs the permit. The statute does not govern events inside the city limits.
Are the rules the same in New Mexico?
No. In Sunland Park, Santa Teresa and Anthony, New Mexico, the New Mexico Environment Department regulates septage pumping. Ask the provider which registration covers the work on that side of the line.
Hauler paperwork
What should a hauler show me?
In Texas, portable-toilet waste is handled as chemical toilet waste and the hauler must be registered with the TCEQ under 30 TAC 312.142. Ask for the registration number, the disposal facility used and the trip ticket. Check the registration yourself with TCEQ.
Does the city need a local hauler permit?
We could not confirm a local El Paso hauler permit. Ask the provider whether one applies to its trucks, and check the TCEQ registration as the state requirement.
Question not answered here?
Call and ask. A technician will give you a straight answer, even if the answer is that you do not need us.