A practical planning guide from Briony Portable Toilets.
Handwashing stations are the unglamorous partner to portable toilets, and they are also one of the highest-return items you can add to any event or construction site. Illness prevention, regulatory compliance, and simple guest comfort all improve dramatically when handwashing is easy and obvious.
The most rigorous studies on foodborne illness at outdoor events point to handwashing availability as the single strongest lever for reducing transmission. On construction sites, OSHA requires potable water and washing facilities regardless of whether porta-potties include an interior sink. Add a station and you close two hygiene gaps at once — the guest or worker who used the restroom and the guest or worker who handled shared tools, gear, or food.
Stations hold a 20-gallon fresh-water reservoir, a smaller gray-water tank, foot-pump-operated water flow, soap dispensers, and paper towel dispensers. No plumbing or electricity is required. Refills happen during scheduled service visits, or on request between visits for heavy-use sites.
Station placement matters more than station count. Place stations at the exit of every restroom bank, at every buffet or food service line entry, and near vendor booths that handle prepared food. Signage — even a single arrow with the word 'wash' — increases usage dramatically.
Pair one handwashing station with every unit or bank. Add stations at trailer entrances, tool-crib checkouts, and break areas. On sites handling lead paint, silica, or chemical materials, stations are legally required at every task exit point and must include soap capable of removing the specific contaminant.
Hand-sanitizer stations do not replace soap-and-water handwashing but are excellent supplements. Deploy them at entry gates, buffet exits, playground perimeters, and areas where water access is impractical. Sanitizer stations are typically less than a third the cost of water-based handwashing stations.
For sites subject to health-department inspection or OSHA audit, we provide dated service logs for handwashing stations alongside restroom units. This documentation is regularly requested during permit applications for outdoor food events.
A handwashing station rental costs a small fraction of a single portable toilet unit and delivers outsized benefit — reduced illness, higher guest satisfaction, easier permit approval, and better compliance posture. There is no scenario where adding one is a mistake.
Once you have the fundamentals from this guide, the next step is a written quote tailored to your project. Call our Fargo office at 701-987-0097 or use our online quote form. Quote requests during business hours are typically returned the same business day.
Call 701-987-0097 or request a quote online. Our team will walk you through your options.
We serve the entire Fargo-Moorhead metro and Cass County. See our Areas Served page for the full list.
One to two weeks is ideal, though same-week and same-day service is often available.
Yes — every unit is pressure-washed, sanitized, and inspected between rentals.
Just call the office. We can add units, increase service frequency, or extend rentals at any time.
Call today for fast delivery and a free quote across Fargo-Moorhead.
