Splash pad
Encyclopedia
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
play that has no standing water. This is said to eliminate the need for lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
s or other supervision, as there is practically no risk of drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
. Splash pads have been around in the commercial industry for decades.
Typically there are ground nozzles that spray water upwards out of the splash pad's raindeck. There may also be other water features such as a rainbow (semicircular pipe shower), a mushroom shower, or a tree shower. As well, some splash pads feature movable nozzles similar to those found on fire trucks to allow users to spray others.
The showers and ground nozzles are often controlled by a hand activated-motion sensor, to run for limited time. Typically the water is either freshwater, or recycled and treated water, that is typically treated to at least the same level of quality as swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
water standards.
Splash pads having zero depth standing water
Many aquatic play features are based around splash pads which have approximatelyzero depth standing water, resulting in reduced drowning risks, such that they
are often acceptably run as unsupervised aquatic play areas.
These splash pads are often surfaced in textured non-slip concrete or in crumb
rubber.
Public urbeaches
Hydraulophone
A hydraulophone is a tonal acoustic musical instrument played by direct physical contact with water where sound is generated or affected hydraulically. Typically sound is produced by the same hydraulic fluid in contact with the player's fingers...
, a musical instrument, similar to a flute or pipe organ, but in which sound is produced by water jets, is an aquatic play feature that appeals to people of all ages including adults and senior citizens, as well as children. An example of this civic form of aquatic play can be found in TELUSCAPE Hydraulophone, the Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre
Ontario Science Centre is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue East...
's centerpiece. Like many splash pads, this piece is circular, with various water pipes rising up from the ground, but each of the pipes is an organ pipe, part of a large outdoor pipe organ that can be played by interfering with the flow of water through the jets of a hydraulophone.
More generally, these urban beaches (urbeaches), each form an urban oasis designed so that waterplay is among one of its various usages. Although not limited to waterplay, an urbeach is multi-purpose.
Various kinds of spray to appeal to all ages
Many splash pads have some features such as fine mist, that are designed to be moderate enough for children. Other splash fountains are designed for adults, e.g. for joggers or concert goers to cool off in. The splash fountain in Toronto's city center, Dundas SquareDundas Square
Yonge-Dundas Square is a commercial junction and public square, situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto...
, features 600 spray nozzles that shoot water straight up through stainless steel grilles set right in the middle of the main walkway. The nozzles rise and fall in unison, like the waves on a beach, so that there are times when the water level is low enough for children to also play in the water. The heights of all the fountains rise and fall in unison, in a sinusoidally time varying manner, to create the atmosphere of an urban beach
Urban beach
An urban beach, or urbeach,is defined as a space that includes an intellectually, artistically, or culturally sophisticated water feature that is also an aquatic play area, and is located within a culturally or artistically significant area of a city...
.
The Dundas Square
Dundas Square
Yonge-Dundas Square is a commercial junction and public square, situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto...
fountains are maintained to a high quality of cleanliness ("pool water or better" standards, according to the maintainers of the facility) because, unlike most city center fountains, these were designed for waterplay. Special nonslip granite slabs were installed to ensure the safety of children and adults alike. Although there are changeroom
Changeroom
A changing room, locker room, dressing room or changeroom is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes...
s at level P1 (the parking garage directly under Dundas Square), many people splash spontaneously, without having planned a trip in advance, therefore not having brought a bathing suit. People simply take off their shirts and shoes, roll up their pant legs, and run through. Thus, as is typical of urbeach changing facilities, only one sixth of the washroom space is devoted to use for changing, and the men's and women's washrooms/changerooms in total only comprise six parking spaces worth of space in P1. The architects even had to go to great lengths to justify the use of six revenue-generating parking spots for a facility that does not, in itself, generate revenue.
List of urbeaches available for public use
ONTARIO, CANADA- Dundas SquareDundas SquareYonge-Dundas Square is a commercial junction and public square, situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto...
, located at Yonge and Dundas streets in the heart of downtown Toronto - Ontario Science CentreOntario Science CentreOntario Science Centre is a science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the Don Valley Parkway about northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road just south of Eglinton Avenue East...
in Toronto Teluscape, North Nessie (12-jet hydraulophone) and South Nessie (45-jet hydraulophone).
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- New York's Christopher Street PierChristopher Street PierThe Christopher Street Pier is a group of piers on the Hudson River waterfront of Manhattan, New York City -- Pier 42, 45, 46, and 51. The piers are at the foot of Greenwich Village's Christopher Street....
(Pier 45)
PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES
- 2 spray parks in Allentown
- Yosko Park, Bethlehem
OREGON, UNITED STATES
- Jamison SquareJamison SquareJamison Square is a city park in the area of downtown Portland, Oregon, known as the Pearl District. It was the first park added to the neighborhood.-Design:...
: On a busy summer day, Jamison Square in Portland's Pearl District draws people of all ages from all parts of the city.