spray park

The temporary shutoff of water to Batavia's spray park in Austin Park Friday, with temperatures approaching 90, is over, and a steady stream of kids was hitting the park throughout Saturday morning and into the afternoon.

Mikayla Brown and James Malone went to the park on Saturday to cool off with no idea the park had just been through a temporary water shutoff.

Malone said the spray park is important on hot days.

"When it gets to be 90 degrees some days, with the humidity, yeah, yeah, it would be kind of sad (without water)," he said.

When told the water was temporarily shut off because of a water shortage, both Malone and Brown said they could understand why it would be shut off. 

Le Roy's spray park had also been turned off, and there has been no word on whether it was up and running again for the weekend.

Previously: Water shortage means no spray parks in 90-degree heat

Just as temperatures peaked near 90 degrees Thursday afternoon, Genesee County officials shared the disheartening news for folks that had pulled on a pair of shorts intending to cool off at the nearest spray park.

Count Shelly Fox, Jennifer Benkleman and Connor among them.

"I'm really disappointed," Fox said as the trio sat near the base of a drying spray park with a hot beating sun in Austin Park Thursday. "We can't afford air conditioning, and this was going to be our summer outlet to come cool off."

Due to a combination of hot weather and the failure of a pump controller at the city’s wellfield, the county called for a mandatory water restriction until 10 p.m. Thursday night. 

County Manager Matt Landers asked that Le Roy and Batavia officials each close their respective spray parks, in addition to issuing a laundry list of reminders for residents to curb their water usage.

Landers said that he is “hoping the demand subsides tomorrow with the weather cooling a little, plus repairs at the plant” will keep the splash pad closures temporary.

“However, we are monitoring closely and will send out an alert tomorrow again if necessary,”  he said.

He knew that Le Roy’s facility was closed and referred The Batavian to city management to confirm that the same decision was made to close the spray park at Austin Park. 

Yes, it was, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. 

"The city spray park is closed currently while we try to recover water in the city's tanks. The pump for well C is down, and we are unable to draw enough water from the aquifer to keep up with the demand. City of Batavia and Genesee County have been in constant communication throughout today, looking at ways to preserve water and get the pump back online as soon as possible," she said. "We appreciate everyone understanding the water restrictions that the county has put in place and hope residents and businesses can follow them until we can get well back up and running."

In a press release sent out Thursday afternoon, Assistant County Manager Tammi Ferringer said that the current water demand is exceeding the infrastructure’s capability to produce clean water and that restrictions are necessary to ensure that the limited public water supply is “distributed equitably among all residents and essential services.”

“The cooperation of all residents, businesses and institutions is vital,” she said.

The following restrictions are effective immediately:

• Outdoor watering is strictly prohibited. Outdoor watering includes lawns, gardens, splash pads, car washing and other non-essential water uses.
• Do not fill swimming pools. Turn off decorative fountains or any other water-consuming recreational purposes.
• Shortened Showers: Limit showers to a maximum of five minutes. Turn off the tap while lathering or brushing your teeth.
• Wait to use dishwashers and washing machines.

Help raise awareness: Spread the word about the water restrictions to friends, neighbors, and community members to ensure widespread compliance. These restrictions may cause inconvenience, but they are crucial to effectively managing the current water shortage.

As Genesee County officials issued the first of what undoubtedly will be a string of reminders to folks to conserve water consumption during the hot summer months, there are a couple of areas also getting their attention.

Spray parks, in both Batavia and more newly installed in Le Roy, are for water what SUVs are for gasoline.

“Spray parks do consume a large amount of water, and we are working with municipalities to consider restricting usage of spray parks in times of low water supply or high water demands,” County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said in response to The Batavian’s questions about the recent voluntary water-saving measure and spray parks. “It is a sensitive subject as the splash parks do provide significant community benefits, and they do offset similar water usage at home with pool-filling, sprinklers, slip and slides, etc.

“Both the City of Batavia and the Village of Le Roy operate splash pads and both are on activated timers, so they don’t run non-stop,” Hens said. “Even still, they are a topic of discussion as we look to ways to save water during peak demand times.”

 This past week county officials asked residents, businesses and institutions in Genesee County to voluntarily participate in reducing water consumption in a number of ways, including limiting outdoor watering of lawns and gardens, especially during the hottest parts of the days and in full sunshine, to maximize water absorption; consider using commercial car wash facilities that recycle water to reduce overall consumption; limit nonessential water in swimming pools, decorative fountains and other aesthetically pleasing but unnecessary water-consuming items.

Other suggestions included being aware of water leaks and fixing them promptly, installing efficient fixtures and using water-efficient appliances, officials said.

Some states have cycled through severe droughts for years, causing such water limitations to help stretch out their supply. California was one, and even in the mid-1980s, warnings were issued to residents about not watering lawns or washing their own vehicles.

In August 2022, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a drought warning for 21 New York counties including Genesee, and the agency was monitoring water conditions to help address any short-term issues and longer-term impacts of climate change.

As for right here in Genesee County, where there has been a three-phase water project in progress to enhance and strengthen the current water system, “it is important to note that these water restrictions are voluntary at this stage,” county officials said.

“Mandatory water restrictions may be implemented if public health and safety are put at risk,” officials said.

“By following these suggestions, each individual contribution will add up significantly.”

To read the entire press release, go HERE. 

A new spray park that was supposed to open in LeRoy more than a year ago is approaching its likely opening, although, as of Friday, that date is still undetermined.

This is according to LeRoy Town Supervisor James Farnholz.

Farnholz said this week that construction is done. Members of the Monroe County Water Authority pressure-tested the spray park this week.

“We did the pressure test, and it passed. The chlorine test was done, and it passed,” Farnholz said Friday.

“Because we are seasonal, Monroe County Water takes the water meters in and out every season. They don’t leave them there. The water meters are going in today. If all the water park gods shine on us, we may be able to have a test run this afternoon.”

Farnholz said, however, that due to 90-degree temperatures, “the chances of getting it tested today are probably a little slim.”

One of the delays over the past year, Farnholz said, was based on figuring out what to do with the water once it's sprayed and drained.

“You have two options. You can either recycle it — which requires an extensive system of chlorination and inspection — or continually use fresh water,” Farnholz said.

“When we looked at the dollar figures, it was more cost-effective to continually use fresh water. It has a timer on it. It’s not unlike a hotel hot tub. You hit the timer, and you get 20 minutes, so it doesn’t run continuously. The kids can just hit the button again, and off you go.”

The spray park is a cooperative venture between the town and the village. The village owns the pool, and the town runs it. American Rescue Plan money funded it. Farnholz said the contractor is based out of Texas.

The pressure coming from the water main from Monroe County into the lines that go to the spray park must hold a certain amount of pressure to ensure no leaks occur underground.

As reported in 2021, the spray park will have 2,000 square feet of misting stations, aqua arches, showers, spills, and water weaves of intertwining spouts from the base outward. Activities are geared for kids of all ages and sizes. The park is handicap accessible. 

Because it is technically not even gray water, the health department allows LeRoy to run it into the wetlands on the other side of the tracks and in the woods.

From gentle mists to powerful downpours, Le Roy town and village residents are in for some water fun come next year.

Town and Village boards hashed out the plan for a new spray park at Wildwood Park during a meeting earlier this month, Le Roy Town Supervisor Jim Farnholz says.

“We all decided on what we liked,” he said during an interview Tuesday with The Batavian. “It’s really something for the community and answers a lot of questions. Our real hope is to open by Memorial Day in 2022.”

Those answers include what to do with a defunct wading pool with several leaks. The spray park will be installed in that space for 2,000 square feet of misting stations, aqua arches, showers, spills, and water weaves of intertwining spouts from the base outward. Activities are geared for kids of all ages and sizes, and the park will be handicap accessible, he said. 

A cooperative effort by both town and village boards, the project is estimated to cost $300,000 to be split by each municipality. The money is coming from the federal COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (See "Le Royans can move off the creek ..."). Based on each municipality’s assessed property value, these relief funds have a list of requirements for how the money can be spent, Farnholz said. Though the 100 or so pages of specifics were “one of the challenges for municipalities,” the town and village discovered that a spray park fit the scope of the funding. 

“One of the very clear things was that it was designated for outdoor activities, parks, and green space,” he said. 

The new park will have extended hours beyond when the swimming pool is open, will not require a lifeguard, and will provide benches, sidewalks, a flat surface, and an assortment of spray heights so that those in wheelchairs can enjoy it as well, he said. The idea was in discussion before the federal money was even received, he said. 

The board members reviewed other spray parks in Genesee and Wyoming counties but landed on one in Brighton, Monroe County, as the best fit. 

“We like it; it seemed to offer the most different kinds of … mister stations, a dump bucket, and little ones for smaller kids,” he said. “It addressed a lot of issues.”

Brighton’s spray park, amongst many others, was installed by Texas-based company Water Odyssey, he said. The town and village have agreed to move forward with the same company as “a lot of municipalities were very happy,” with it. 

Town and village public works crews will perform the tear-out and site prep for the project to save some money, he said. Other work will include dealing with wastewater and electrical upgrades, he said. 

“Once we decide on a specific plan, they can provide the site prep information,” he said. “I’m hoping for it to be in the next week or two.”

Beating the heat at the Austin Park Spray Park.

It's looking like Memorial Day Weekend is going to be a great weekend to make use of the spray park in Austin Park, as Darien Rhodes did this afternoon with Faith Rhodes.

Temperatures will reach as high as 92 degrees over the weekend with ample humidity.

Colin Hart, all of 1-and-a-half years old, experienced the Spray Park in Austin Park on this hot day for the first time. He was a little unsure of the whole splashing water thing. He was with mom Jill.

Kasandra Sturgeon plays with her sister Hannah at the Spray Park in Austin Park today. It was Hannah's first trip there.

Dozens of kids were out this afternoon on what may be the hottest day of the year so far. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, warning of an increased possibility of heat-related illness on a day with temperatures into the 90s and high humidity.

Stay cool and stay hydrated.

Aiden, at 22 months, enjoyed his first visit to the Spray Park in Austin Park today while his family, from Clarendon, was visiting Batavia.

More shots from the Spray Park in today's 90-degree weather below.

The weather prediction for Sunday remains strong thunderstorms.

Austin Spray Park is closed for the season—two weeks early, according to the Daily News. A waterline break that damaged "some electrical components" is cited as the cause of the early closure. It would have taken more than two weeks to fix the problem, and since the park was scheduled to closed on September 2 anyway, officials decided to just call it quits for the season.

In other news:

• Canandaiguan Erin Fairben will take over as superintendent of the New York State School for the Blind. She comes to Batavia from the Geneva City School District. She starts September 2.
• Wyoming and Orleans counties have joined in the statewide NY-Alert system that provides emergency alert information such as road closings and severe weather warnings. Genesee County is "implementing the service."
• Assemblyman Steve Hawley will lead youth in a pledge to be drug-free at 6:30pm at the Muckdogs game this Friday.
• Victorian Manor will host a get-together "for people in any type of business to get acquainted" with the staff and amenities of the refurbished apartment building. Show up at 427 East Main St. from 5:00 to 7:00pm.

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