Greater Portland families with young children are turning to free public splash pads to keep cool amidst a heat wave this week. These playground-like areas have structures that spout water and are popular attractions for younger children to play.
Peg, a mother from Westbrook, said she came to Portland's Payson Park on Tuesday with her six-year-old son specifically for their splash pad. She said they’ve visited other splash pads in the past.
“It keeps kids active when it’s really hot out, and that’s hard to do rather than just sitting inside on a tablet," said Peg, adding that she and her son have visited other splash pads in the past. "[Younger children] can’t spend much time in a pool without getting exhausted. But [with] splash pads, they can run around and have fun.”
Portland offers five splash pads throughout the city — the largest one located at the Deering Oaks Ravine.
City officials said the areas are cleaned regularly to ensure the pads are safe for kids. Bob Weyer, the recreation facilities technician for the City of Portland, takes care of the city's splash pads. He says the water is clean and does not get recirculated.
"It is [just] tap water," said Weyer. "I’ve gone over when I was thirsty and drank from some of the sprays. Which I’m not condoning, but you could if you wanted to because it is just fresh tap water!"
The Deering Oaks Ravine splash pad has consumed $7,137.05 worth of water this fiscal year according to data from the City of Portland. Portland's Stone Street splash pad has used $1,916.52 worth of water, which Weyer says is representative of the water consumption used by the other splash pads. Temperatures across the state are expected to be in the upper 90s this week, with feels-like temperatures in the triple digits due to the humidity.
