It’s something we just don’t think about until we need it. Portable sanitation is, to some people, an unpleasant subject but it is almost as necessary as the air we breathe.
Believe it or not, portable toilets have been around for 3500 years! The ancient Egyptians fashioned stools with holes in the middle and a clay pot beneath. These devices were held in such high regard that they were often buried with important people and top officials. During the Middle Ages and up until the mid-19th century, chamber pots were used. These containers were made of metal or glass and were often quite beautiful. Used mostly during the night hours, the contents were routinely thrown out a window in the morning and woe to whoever happened to be passing below!
During World War, 1 the American infantry carried portable toilets emblazoned with the logo “T. Crapper”, the London plumber (1836-1910) famous for the quality of his work. Hence, the slang word “crapper” became popular when referring to bathroom facilities.
The first modern portable toilet was fashioned from wood and metal. A shipbuilder in California noticed how much time it took workers to leave a ship and travel to the bathrooms on the docks. In order to save time and increase efficiency he made a wooden cabana with a small holding tank for his workers to use. It wasn’t a very pleasant contraption, as wood absorbs odors and is difficult to keep clean. Sanitation in that first modern portable toilet was nonexistent.
Later, in the early 1970’s, fibreglass was used to make lightweight portable toilets that could be moved about easily from site to site. Since fibreglass picks up odours almost as well as wood does, these were not very popular even though they provided a much needed service. Near the end of the decade polyethylene was the material of choice. It is non-permeable, durable and easy to clean as well as lightweight.
We’ve come a long way since that shipbuilder built the first modern portable toilet. When you see a portable sanitation unit on a construction site or at a festival you can be sure that it is clean and odorless with every care taken to make it pleasant. There are many different models of portable toilets, from basic utility units to luxurious VIP accommodations.
If you need portable sanitation for an event you have a lot to choose from. Units are cleaned, deodorized and disinfected regularly during use and after each rental period. Perhaps the most impressive units are the portable VIP bathrooms which are no different from the restrooms in an upscale restaurant on the inside. There are private stalls with doors, a vanity with mirrors and washing facilities. In fact, there are even mobile shower units that you can rent if you have the need.
Portable sanitation is no longer unpleasant, smelly and unattractive. Modern sanitation units are clean and safe; many of the newer ones have washing facilities and/or a hand sanitizer in each unit.
