Plenty of port-a-potties for Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia, organizers say

There are more than 3,000 portable toilets in Philadelphia for the papal visit. But is that enough?

With nearly 1 million pilgrims pining to see the pope, will 3,000 portable potties be enough for all of their...needs?

According to Philly.com, A Royal Flush Inc. has delivered approximately 3,000 portable potties, and 350 urinal stalls to several areas throughout the papal zone.

If the math is correct, that's one toilet for every 250 people.

Event organizers told philly.com that, with the help of local restaurants and public restrooms opening their doors to visitors in need, there will be plenty of places to do business during Pope Francis' visit.

Broad Street toilet

Posted by Calista Wynkoop on Monday, September 21, 2015

Bianca Bethel, EMS Productions' site manager for the Parkway papal events, said they expect between 800,000 and one million people on Saturday and possibly 1.5 million on Sunday for the Mass on the Parkway, according to reports.

Using a formula and research into past events, Bethel said the plethora of potties would be perfect.

---

MORE: Things to do, eat and see while in Philadelphia for pope's visit

---

However, Bruce Willis, manager of Philadelphia Portable Potty Professionals, disagrees.

According to reports, Willis recommends 50 people per potty at all day events and two toilets per 50 if alcohol is being served.

A photo posted by Laura (@ldipa) on Sep 22, 2015 at 4:58am PDT

Alcohol may not be "served" during the papal events, but, hey...it's Philly. And Pope-inspired beers are all the rage already.

Willis told philly.com that if the potties are pumped out regularly, 250 per person may accomodate the crowd, but wait times could be nerve-wracking.

Event organizers promise the bathrooms will be cleaned out three times a day, reports say.

So, the question of whether 3,000 port-a-potties will be enough to accommodate the pilgrims is yet to be answered. But those who have visited the city recently have seen the wall of thrones surrounding the Parkway and have had fun posting photos and creating hashtags for the spectacle.

There are a lot of port-a-potties in Philadelphia right now. #PopeinPhilly #PopeADelphia #PoopADelphia pic.twitter.com/EMWyx8S3P5

-- G.W. Miller III (@gwmiller3) September 20, 2015

Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.