MEDFORD, Ore.- The city of Medford says its ready to help people cool off with splash pads.
Despite water conservation concerns due to drought and a chlorine shortage, Rich Rosenthal with Medford’s Parks and Recreation Department says there is no need to worry.
According to him, the water is efficiently recycled and treated at the pads, so its not like running fresh water from a faucet. He also says the department anticipated the current national chlorine shortage, and purchased enough ahead of time to last through the summer.
The city is still working to conserve water. Rosenthal says they are using less by prioritizing high traffic spots.
So you can cool off and enjoy the splash pads at Medford parks like:
- Fichtner-Mainwaring (334 Holmes Avenue)
- Hawthorne (501 East Main Street)
- Lewis (130 Lewis Avenue)
- Lone Pine (3158 Lone Pine Road)
- Oregon Hills (6001 East McAndrews Road)
Matt Samitore, the city’s Parks and Public Works Director, says the water there isn’t re-cycled like the splash pads in Medford. To lower the park’s water usage, they are reducing the hours for the spray park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
“Right now this is a voluntary compliance and that’s what we are going to be doing, and that 20 or 25 percent savings gets us in that right direction,” he explained.
He also says they are hoping to have more access to chlorine by July, but if they don’t, they may have to suspend operations at the splash park.
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