Community Event and Market Toilets in San Diego

How many toilets does a small-city festival need?

Start from the busiest hour of the event, then check the ratio the permitting city or county uses. The City of San Diego uses one per 250 at peak, and San Diego County has recommended about the same, while older county policy used a higher ratio. Cities such as La Mesa or El Cajon may differ, so ask the office that issues your permit.

A free, three-day event like the La Mesa Oktoberfest, held in the village center between Spring and 4th Streets and Allison and Lemon Avenues, can have a very different crowd from hour to hour. A free event with no gate also has no ticket count, so the committee's own estimate matters.

Food is the second ratio. The county's temporary food event rule of one toilet per 15 food employees within 200 feet of a booth can drive the count in a village with many booths.

Who permits an event in La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove or Santee?

Each of those places is a separate city with its own government, so each issues its own event permits. The City of San Diego Office of Special Events does not cover them. County rules for temporary food events apply across the county. Ask your city hall which departments review the restroom plan.

Unincorporated communities such as Spring Valley rely on the county for permits on private and county land. The first question is always whose land and whose jurisdiction.

This site does not know the specifics of those cities' rules. A phone call to city hall will give a clear answer in minutes.

What does a park concert series or a recurring fair need?

A recurring event needs a repeatable plan: a fixed spot for cabins, a handwash station, an agreed servicing day and a provider who knows the site. Units can stay between event days if the provider agrees and the site is secure. Share the season's dates early.

Berry Street Park's amphitheater in Lemon Grove has hosted summer concerts, according to a past listing, and Santee Lakes has hosted music nights. A series like that turns a one-off rental into a regular one, and a provider that sees the same site every week will learn its quirks.

Check the current season's dates with the organizers, since published schedules are old.

St. John of the Cross parish in Lemon Grove holds a Lemon Fest, and many parishes and schools hold similar fairs. A committee that books at the same time each year can ask the provider to remember the layout from last time.

How should a volunteer committee organize the toilet job?

Name one person to deal with the provider, one to meet the truck and one to walk the site during the event. Share the site sketch, the quote and the provider's number with all three. A committee that splits the roles avoids the common failure of everyone assuming someone else made the call.

Volunteers change from year to year, so write the plan down. A single page with the number of units, the positions, the provider's contact and the delivery and pickup times is enough, and next year's committee can start from it.

On the day, someone should check the cabins an hour before gates open and again at the peak. If a unit looks full, is out of paper or has been moved, that person calls the provider. Volunteers should never open a unit's service hatch or try to empty it.

What if the crowd grows each year?

Plan from the last peak plus a margin, and tell the provider the trend. Many community events grow slowly, then jump after good weather or a headline act. Keep a reserve spot for extra cabins and a way to reach the provider on the morning of the event. Additions depend on what the provider has free.

Published figures for the same San Diego event can differ widely from one source to another, which shows how hard crowds are to count. A committee's own records, such as vendor counts and parking, are often a better guide than a headline number.

If you reach a size where the city or county asks for a formal plan, you will already have the data. Keep notes each year on the busiest hour, the longest queue and any complaints.