AMA: How much will it cost to run the splash pad?

By mvhannigan

AMA stands for “Ask Michael Anything,” and is a chance for readers to ask reporter Michael V. Hannigan questions about Henderson County. Ask questions through our Facebook Page or our website.

QUESTION: Reader Mike Hembree asked about the cost for ongoing maintenance to the proposed splash pad in Athens.

SOURCE: Kim Hodges, who is an Athens Chamber of Commerce board member and the go-to person when it comes to splash pad information.

ANSWER: According to Hodges, organizers have not only talked with the manufacturer, they have had multiple talks with officials in Palestine, Longview and Rockwall, which all have this sort of splash pad, about just the sorts of questions Mike asked.

“We didn’t want to give (Kiwanis) a money pit,” Hodges said.

Let’s breakdown the answer into three parts: Maintenance, water and liability insurance.

Maintenance: One of the biggest costs for maintaining a water feature is usually the filtration system. However, since there is no standing water with a splash pad, there’s no filter, therefore no maintenance cost.

There is also not much to go wrong with the system itself since there are no moving parts. The one thing to watch is the spray nozzles themselves, but there isn’t usually much of a problem there, according to the other cities.

The Kiwanis Club (which leases the park from the city) will be responsible for the actual upkeep of the splash pad, which shouldn’t require much more than going out with some soap and a broom on a regular schedule and washing down the pad.

Water: This is the one big ongoing resource, and the city has stepped up to provide the water. However, it is important to note that city officials have told organizers that the splash pad will be the first thing turned off if we have drought conditions or water issues.

The system itself will be on a 5-minute timer … meaning someone will have to hit the start button every 5 minutes to keep it going. This will stop the water from running when the splash pad is empty. The system will be turned on at 9 a.m. and turned off at 8 p.m.

It is also important to note, Hodges said, that the splash pad won’t be running at all for extended times of the year because of the weather.

Liability insurance: Insurance for the splash pad will be under the policy already in place for Kiwanis Park. For insurance purposes, the splash pad is like another piece of playground equipment.