Although Niverville’s splash pad in Hespeler Park would ordinarily turn on the taps around June 1, it’s currently unknown when exactly the pad will open for the summer of 2018. The water use restrictions in place for Niverville residents is the main cause of uncertainty.
Mayor Myron Dyck notes that the splash pad would typically be filled with water from the same treatment plant which is not currently operating at full capacity.
“We understand that it’s warm and we would love to see it open, but we’re just asking people to hold right now,” says Dyck. “The pad will be operational at such time as we get the water treatment plant online.”
Dyck says that the town investigated the possibility of filling the splash pad with well water, but that they had numerous concerns.
“That’s straight rust water that’s coming out of the ground. It’s not treated, it’s not softened, so what does that do to young children’s skin, for one? And what does that do to the fittings and the infrastructure?”
Untreated water has the potential of corroding the pumps and pipes, or otherwise lowering the equipment’s lifespan, requiring earlier repairs than anticipated.
The bottom line is that Dyck expects the splash to be open soon, perhaps by the end of May or shortly thereafter. Progress made on the water line in the next week will be very telling.
Dyck also cautions, though, that new projects don’t always work perfectly right out of the gate. Once the new water line is hooked up, tests will be conducted to ensure that it can handle the added use. Although no one expects hiccups, he says he wouldn’t be surprised if a few crop up.
UPDATE: The splash pad is now open!
