Handwashing stations with running water, placed beside each toilet location and planned against the state rule for mass gatherings.
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A handwashing station is a stand with a water supply, a drain or holding tank for the wastewater, and a drying method, set near the toilets so guests use it on the way out. Under the state's mass-gathering rule, handwashing and drying facilities go near each toilet location, and wastewater goes to holding tanks or subsurface absorption.
The state rule for mass gatherings asks for handwashing and drying facilities near each toilet location, with wastewater going to holding tanks or subsurface absorption. A station is therefore part of the restroom plan, not an add-on. For a festival, a race or a crew that uses the same restroom all day, the station belongs in the count and the site plan, and it is checked on the same visits as the toilets.
The station runs on running water, and that is the real difference from a hand-sanitizer stand. A sanitizer stand has no water supply and no drain, so it suits a food court or an indoor venue where a sink is already in place. Call (888) 351-0294 with the site or event address, the number of guests or crew and the toilet count, and ask for the station count to be set against the toilets. For the toilet side, see festival and music event restrooms.
Do not connect a station to a water line or drain yourself, and do not run a drain across a walkway where a guest could trip. Keep the supply tank closed when it is not in use, and do not let water pool under the station. Keep drinking water separate from the washing supply and label the stations clearly. Wastewater is handled by the crew only, and any spill is reported to the technician straight away.
Used at a festival, race or fair where guests use the toilets in a steady flow. Stations go near each cluster and at the food areas, and the count follows the crowd at peak. The station matters most where guests move from the toilets straight to food, because the wash is skipped when the station is far away.
Used on a construction site where the crew works through a hot day. The station sits near the toilets and the work zone, and its water is checked more often than at an event. A shaded station that is refilled on schedule gets more use than one standing in full sun.
Used at a wedding or private event that has trailer restrooms. The station sits beside the trailer's entrance so a guest can wash on the way in or out. A station can be finished to suit the event, but its water supply and drainage are the same as any other station.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what handwashing station rental should cost.
The state rule for mass gatherings requires handwashing and drying facilities near each toilet location. Events and job sites are planned the same way, with a station beside each cluster.
The rule is about location, not a ratio. It does not set a sink-per-person number, so the station count is a planning decision made for the crowd. One station at the far end of a long row of toilets is not what the rule describes, however tidy the layout looks on paper.
The county's site plan for a mass gathering must show the handwashing stations with running water, so each station is part of the permit file as well as the day.
A station has running water and a drain or holding tank. A sanitizer stand has neither, and it suits a place where a sink is already connected elsewhere on the site.
Washing with water and soap is a different job from using a sanitizer stand. A station needs a supply, a way to take the used water away and a drying method. A sanitizer stand can go where water is not available, which makes it simpler but also limits where it can be used.
For a school field or a food court where a sink is already in place, a sanitizer stand can be the simpler choice. Ask the permitting office whether it meets the requirement at a toilet location before you choose it.
The amount depends on the crowd, the heat and the hours of use. The technician plans the supply against the expected use and checks it through the day.
The state rule sets drinking water at a rate of at least one pint per person per hour for a mass gathering. Handwashing water is a separate need, and it rises with the crowd and the heat. A station that runs out at the peak fails the guest who needs it most, so the supply is planned for the busiest hour.
The tank is checked before opening, during the peak and at the end of the day, and it is refilled on a schedule the crew sets with you.
The station count, the water supply and drainage, the hours and the number of days, and the truck access to each station. The price is explained and approved before work starts.
Stations with a supply and a drain take more work to set than a sanitizer stand, because the crew fills the water and handles the wastewater. The count moves the price most, followed by the hours. A station that runs all day in summer is serviced more often than one that runs for an afternoon.
The provider confirms the price for the site before delivery, and you approve it before any work starts. No price figure is given on this page.
In shade where the site allows, close to the toilets, with a clear path and a supply checked on schedule. Summer servicing is more frequent than in the cooler months.
Austin's summers bring many days at 100 degrees or more, and a station in full sun heats its water and draws more use. The technician looks for shade from a building, a tree or a canopy, and keeps the path from the toilet exit to the station clear of it.
Stations are checked more often from June through September, when heat drives handwashing demand. A check at the start of the hottest hours and another in the late afternoon keeps the station usable through the day.
Each toilet location gets a station near it, on the way out of the toilet area. A station placed behind the units or past a long gap goes unused, so the technician checks the path from each unit's exit to the station before the layout is final.
A running-water station needs a supply, often a tank the crew fills, and a drain or holding tank for the wastewater. The state rule sends wastewater to holding tanks or subsurface absorption, and the technician confirms which applies to the site. The supply stays closed when it is not in use, so it does not spill on the ground.
The state rule names drying facilities as well as handwashing, so the station plan includes a drying method. The method is chosen for the event and the weather, and it is kept stocked through the day. Drying is settled at the same time as the water, not afterward.
A station runs out of water when the crowd is heavy. The state rule also calls for drinking water at least one pint per person per hour at a mass gathering, and the drinking supply is kept separate from the stations. The crew checks the tanks through the peak hours and again in the afternoon.
Stations are serviced on the event schedule, and wastewater goes to an authorized disposal facility at the end of the day or the job. The station is emptied and removed with the toilets, so no wastewater is left on the ground when the event closes.
Austin events are held in places such as Zilker Park, the Travis County Expo Center and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and each has its own water access. The water source is confirmed on the site survey, because a supply at one end of a lawn can be a long way from the other end.
Creek flooding in Austin is fast and local. After the 2013 floods along Onion and Williamson creeks, low lots were damaged, and a station on a lot like that needs a placement above the water line. Re-check it after heavy rain, because a low spot that was dry in the morning can hold water by evening.
The state rule applies outside city limits. A station at a mass gathering in unincorporated Travis County is part of the county's permit file, while a station inside Austin follows the city's event process. Ask which office governs the site before the station count is written.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Stand-alone hand sanitizer stations for venues in Austin where a sink is already placed elsewhere on the site.
Flush-style portable toilets for events and job sites in Austin, with the unit type and placement confirmed before delivery.
Scheduled cleaning and servicing for portable toilets, timed to the crowd, the heat and the run of the job.
Festival and music event restrooms planned from peak attendance, permit tiers and the accessible unit count.
The federal construction table in 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1) sets the minimum toilets for a crew: one facility for 20 or fewer workers, then one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers above 20, and one per 50 at 200 or more.
Austin averages about 29 triple-digit days in a year, and the first one now often arrives in May or June.
City of Austin event guidance works to about one toilet per 50 people at expected peak attendance and recommends 5 to 10 percent of units be ADA-accessible.
Mass gatherings held outside a Texas municipality are judged against Health and Safety Code chapter 751 and 25 Texas Administrative Code 265.3.
Whether the state's mass-gathering rule applies depends on the size and hours of the event. Where it does, handwashing and drying near each toilet location is part of the standard. A short event with a few units still benefits from a station, because guests move from the toilets to the food area. Ask the permitting office which standard governs.
A sanitizer stand is different from a station with running water, and the permitting office decides whether it meets the requirement at a toilet location. It suits a place where a sink is already in place, such as a food court or a school field. Ask before you choose it for a toilet cluster, and record the choice in the plan.
The state rule sets no sink-per-person ratio, so the count is planned for the crowd at peak and placed beside each toilet location. The permit plan shows the stations and their water supply. A technician can work out the count from the toilet layout and the expected peak.
No. The station supply is for washing and drying, and drinking water is provided separately. The state rule calls for at least one pint of drinking water per person per hour at a mass gathering, and that supply is kept apart from the stations.
Under the state rule, handwashing wastewater goes to holding tanks or subsurface absorption, and the tanks are emptied to an authorized disposal facility. Nothing is drained onto the ground or into a creek, and the route is set in the plan.
Yes. The crew sets the station beside the toilets and the work zone, and the count follows the crew. The federal construction table covers the toilets, and the station is planned with them rather than on its own. The site's own requirements are confirmed with the site contact and the permitting office.