UPDATE: Saanich has partially reopened one of two public water parks closed due to a “system performance issue”
There was a "pilot" reopening of the Rutledge Park splash pad on Saturday, July 27. It was running for its normal operating hours between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., but had some limited features and a reduced volume of water.
The weekend opening was billed as a trial run to help figure out what can work in the short term while staff look at long-term solutions. The district has not yet provided an update on the success of the trial run.
The Rutledge Park splash pad, which opened in June, was closed first to investigate an issue discovered on July 18. After inspection, Saanich discovered Beckwith Park facility faced a similar problem and it closed July 20.
The splash pad at Beckwith park remains closed as staff look at options for fixes.
“Potable water is entering the storm drain system which may have impacts on aquatic life downstream," the district said in a news release on Thursday, July 25. "The district takes the protection of the environment seriously, so the splash pads are being closed out of an abundance of caution as our investigation and maintenance work continues.”
Ongoing testing and monitoring is planned at Rutledge to tweak the system as issues crop up, a Friday statement from the district said.
More investigation and research is needed at Beckwith Park, which is an older splash pad with some different considerations than the situation at Rutledge Park, the district news release said.
Watch for updates online at saanich.ca/parks or District of Saanich social media channels.
