At their June 6 meeting, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of two vaults for $13,320. The vaults will be used to build vaulted bathrooms at Jefferson County Lake, which faces a restroom-shortage for this year’s Fourth of July Celebration.

Due to the growth in Rigby and in the County, Jefferson County Lake is inundated with visitors, especially during the Independence Day holiday, according to Parks and Recreation Director Mickey Eames, who approached the commissioners regarding the vaulted bathrooms.

The bid Eames presented to the commissioners for the bathroom structures was for $7,000, which they stated seemed high and requested Eames continue to seek for bids on the project.

“Getting bids is near impossible,” Eames warned, “Holding off only makes the situation worse.”

However, the commissioners suggested she put a time frame on receiving bids, and if none are received after the allotted time, they would see about moving forward the bid she presented to the commissioners at the start of the meeting.

Eames made the commissioners aware of a shortage of Porta-Potties, portable toilets the park had used in years past. This shortage has caused a major increase in rental prices.

She told the commissioners she did more research to find Porta-Potties for the event, but found she could rent some for upwards of $300 a day. For the entire Fourth of July Weekend, Eames calculated the county would pay $2,099.

“All the construction sites all have crews on them,” Eames said after the meeting. “They’ve gotta have those porta-potties on site there for them.”

There is a shortage of Porta-Potties across eastern Idaho, according to Barrett Hope with B’s Portable Toilets.

Hope has been out of available Porta-Potty units for about three or four weeks. Last year he didn’t run out of units until the third week of July, he said.

There are multiple factors to shortages in portable toilets, he said, listing the increase in construction as well as the loosening in Covid-19 related restrictions and subsequent influx of events.

According to Hope, the majority of his units are currently on construction sites, of which there are many due to the economy and the rush to build.

“I remember back in 2009 and 2008, everyone was trying to build fast,” Hope said. “We’re looking at the same situation, they want to build now before the interest rates go up.”

Also contributing to the shortage is the number of reservations toilet rental companies are seeing for large events, which are building due to the loosening of Covid restrictions.

Victor, ID holds an event that lasts eight weeks, Hope stated this event reserves a certain number of units. As does the Renaissance Fair, which also reserves a certain number. Among these events are a myriad of smaller reunion and community events which have already reserved their toilets.

“I try to rotate them out as much as I can,” Hope said. “Up until the toilets are reserved, but even then a majority of them are out on construction sites.”

Price increases in various different industries can also contribute to shortages in availability, according to Victor Cammans with MVP Rentals. The cost of materials used to manufacture Porta-potties, such as plastic and metals have increased, along with the cost of fuel for transportation of the units.

“The price of a porta-potty, since last year, has just about doubled,” Cammans said.

Rising costs are also huge contributors to the rising price of Porta-Potty rentals, according to both Cammans and Hope.

Portable toilet companies, according to Hope, need to pay for fuel, chemicals and toilet paper. In April alone, Hope stated, paper products all received a 30 percent price increase, which are increases the company has to pass on to the customer in order to continue making a profit.

MVP, according to Cammans, pays approximately $500 more for a pallet of toilet paper since April 1, and pays nearly $1,200 in fuel per month. The price of chemicals used in all Porta-Potties also received price increases from 30 percent to 50 percent, and companies are paying their employees nearly double last year’s rates to gain and retain employees.

“Costs are rising everywhere, and they aren’t going to stop,” Cammans said. “People are going to be surprised on the prices of Porta-Potties, even in the next year.”

There are ways portable toilet companies are attempting to mitigate the rising prices, Cammans stated. He mentioned in some places across the country companies have implemented a fluctuating fuel cost in order to keep their standard rates lower. In Eastern Idaho, however, unit rental rates are already about $100 less than the national average, he stated.

“We’re trying not to raise the prices, but it’s going to happen,” Cammans said.

In the meantime, Jefferson County Lake will move forward with the vault installations as Eames reaches out to gather bids on constructing the park’s two vaulted bathrooms.

Eames stated there is a possibility Porta-Potties may become available for the Fourth of July celebration, but she is unaware how likely it is.

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