Cloward H2O, an expert in aquatic design, has provided advice for prospective purchasers of family water features in the areas of planning, safety and maintenance.
Urban environments, retail complexes, and leisure attractions that want to offer an alternative to the traditional pool frequently choose splash pads, also known as spray decks. These deck areas are often fitted with a variety of nozzles and above-ground spray toys, such as umbrellas, flowers, hydrants, and tipping buckets.
Planning ahead
The first step in designing any kind of water feature is to hire a reputable design/engineering firm and confer with health and building departments who supervise project construction and issue building permits.
Accessibility and parking are key factors to take into account when choosing the location, and creative and intriguing approaches should be made to accommodate the site’s shape and contour.
“Splash Pads do not need to be round, square, or even flat – use your imagination!” says Bradley Clawson. “Research the types of features that are available but don’t feel limited to choosing from a single supplier. The engineer may even be comfortable incorporating custom features to get a specific unique effect.”
The manufacturer of each spray feature or toy will specify the “wet zone” or spray area as well as the needed flow (GPM) and pressure (psi). How close to the splash pad’s edge a feature may be installed depends on its spray area.
The design should feature appropriately sloping surfaces that are suitable for kids to play on and catch all the water in big enough drains, often greater than 1:50 (2% slope) but less than 1:15 (7% slope). The finished surface must be slip-resistant and durable to foot traffic. Another consideration is to design an attractive landscape setting and incorporate appropriate shade.
Choosing the right approach
An engineer will utilise technical data to size a system to provide the required flow and pressure through a piping network and to the individual features when taking into consideration the mechanical system. The simplest, with a flow-through design, performs well on splash pads with less than 20 nozzles.
With certified backflow protection, potable water from a municipal line can be directly linked to the pipe network. If adequate city water capacity is not easily available, an alternative is to use it to fill a tank or cistern that is large enough to hold the required amount of water which will then be pumped to the features.
To keep the flow demand within the range of the supply, a controller can be used to limit the number of sprayers that can be triggered at once. However, many institutions discover that flow-through splash pad water may be collected, stored, and used for landscape irrigation and therefore conserve water. Water from the feature nozzles often moves across the sloped deck to a collection drain. Because water does not circulate, this kind of system does not need filtering or a sanitising system.
A second system type treats water in an underground storage reservoir, or catch basin, using an autonomously recirculating treatment system, much like a swimming pool treatment system.
Importance of safety
The size of the filtration and sanitation system is frequently a concern with splash pads. A well-designed splash pad that attracts a lot of people can quickly overload the treatment system. Instead of designing to the bare minimum required by code, operators should allow for increased popularity over time. For instance, a splash pad project in Springville, Utah, had a predicted 100-person capacity for instantaneous visits but has occasionally seen up to 600 people at once and more than 2,500 in a single day.
Operators frequently struggle with quick chloramine buildup in the water as a result of the high bather/water ratio. Chloramines, a consequence of inadequate chlorine sanitation produced when pollutants interact with low amounts of chlorine in the circulating water, are responsible for the bad smell associated with water bodies.
It’s crucial to properly size the chemical storage tanks and chemical dosing system to manage peak demand if proper free chlorine levels are to be maintained in the water. The choice of sanitizing chemical is also important, with Cloward H2O recommending liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) or tablet chlorine (calcium hypochlorite) as two of the best solutions in combination with an acid feeder for pH control.
Returns on investment
With these considerations in mind, there are considerable benefits to opening a Splash Pad. Cloward H2O reports that the aforementioned Springville Splash Pad has contributed significantly to increased business traffic in the small downtown area, with patrons travelling significant distances to visit. Whilst some traditional pools in surrounding communities have to routinely shut down for maintenance or high chloramine levels, Springville continues to enjoy the benefits of its Splash Pad, especially in the summer season.
Clawson adds: “By following the recommendations above, organizations contemplating whether to build one can have the reassurance that the investment and effort are well worth it!”
Cloward H2O recently celebrated the completion of one of its latest projects in The Bahamas, which was recognised as The Caribbean’s Leading Water Park 2022 in the World Travel Awards.
