Bathroom break: Will inauguration have enough?

WASHINGTON — Mr. John. Don’s Johns. Johnny Blue. Johnny on the Spot.

They sound like drinks at some upscale bar. Actually, their names are emblazoned on port-a-potties that organizers hope will handle the needs of the potentially 2 million people that could descend on the capital for next week’s inauguration festivities.

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Jacquelyn Martin/STF

A row of portable toilets lines the National Mall near the Capitol.

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In all, there will be 5,000 port-a-potties from about 10 different vendors for Barack Obama’s inauguration. On Thursday, they stood ready on the mall, port-a-potty-to-port-a-potty, some green, some blue, others gray.

The big question: will they be able to handle the call — er, nature’s call — of the throngs of people?

“We think we’ve reached an appropriate number and can accommodate the crowds,” said Kevin Griffis, a spokesman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, a privately funded organization that is picking up the cost.

But Bill Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service, said there was really no way to say for certain.

“Ultimately, does anybody know how many people will show up?” he asked.

Line said that the Park Service recommends that organizers provide one port-a-potty for every 300 people, but stressed that it was up to the Presidential Inaugural Committee to decide whether to follow that. At that ratio, 5,000 port-a-potties would handle 1.5 million people.

For other large events, such as July 4 and the Cherry Blossom Festival, there are usually around 800 port-a-potties, Line said.

Conrad Harrell, a vice president at Don’s Johns, a Chantilly, Va., company providing many of the port-a-potties, called the inauguration “the largest temporary restroom event in the history of the United States.”

He said the company’s trucks will be on hand to handle any overflow situation, but attendants would hopefully preempt that by locking port-a-potties that fill up.

Organizers also point out that museums will be open for people to use bathrooms and escape from the cold. Griffis said the Presidential Inaugural Committee has paid the Smithsonian Institution $750,000 to open two of its museums, the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Castle, early at 8 a.m.

Harrell was confident there will be enough port-a-potties. “Absolutely,” he said. “Absolutely.”