Rank: New forum user 
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Good day! I was hoping there may be someone out there who can offer advice on operating an outdoor splash park (fountains etc). I've spent countless hours researching, engaging with consultants (to no avail) on how my organisation can successfully operate our splash park in line with PWTAG guidance. For context, the 'splash zone' spends more time out of action that it does in use due to testing which is carried out inline with PWTAG guidance identifying high TVC counts (but under 100).
We have had two cases of E-Coli counts above 10 which results in automatic shutdown, and even a count over 10 of Staphylococcus aureus, which again results in immediate shutdown in line with PWTAG.
Considering the play is outdoors, it is accessible to Birds, Rodents, it undergoes regular cleaning, and testing at the tank is always fine (the culprits are always the nozzles which are enclosed and inaccessible). In addition, the surface is soft pour, so I assume that naturally engrains dirt etc, I'm at a complete loss as to how we can possibly operate within the tight constraints of PWTAG guidance.
Does anyone have any experience of operating splash plays, and if so, could they possibly offer any advice/guidance?
Any assistance would be hugely apppreciated, we are debating on wether to decomission it, which would be a huge shame as its incredibly popular with visitors.
Edited by user 03 July 2025 11:31:52(UTC)
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Rank: Super forum user
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. Alfay How do these splash zones work? I have worked with two organisations who have "fountains" that kids run through - both had "plant rooms" that operate like a swimming pool clorinating and cleaning the water. Also others with paddling pools which relied on hand doseing and regular empying. All manage to operate withing the PWTAG guidance levels - all be it that they had to have occasional shut downs to deep clean, but then this can happen in any swimming pool.
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 1 user thanked HSSnail for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Sorry not enough coffee yesterday. One problem with outdoor water parks because of the amount of grose contamination sources available is the build up of bio film inside the pipe work, this basically allows the bacteria to hide from you disinfectant (bit more complicated than that but easiest way to explain). Bio film cleaning is usually a regular part of spar pool maintenance, but not so much in swimming pools. The company i mentioned yesterday with the fountains found that by introducing a regular bio film clean they reduced the number of shut downs they needed.
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1 user thanked HSSnail for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Morning Alfay In order to give Forum users a better chance of trying to provide constructive input, please could you elaborate on what you mean by "the surface is soft pour", perhaps by describing what the surface is made of. In my non-professional experience, usually the surfaces of e.g. a swimming pool are hard and impermeable. I can see that if someone was dropping a relatively short distance into a splash pool then there would be a benefit in the surface below the water providing a soft landing, so may be some sponge like material which as you suggest would be more likely to entrap contaminants. However, I suspect that this might easily take you outside the intended scope of PWTAG guidance and that you need to be working from first principles, thence considering amongst other things whether the nature of the soft landing surface is such that the safety benefits perhaps outweigh the increased biohazard health risks.
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