Highland Park Spraypark update: Closed again for repairs

Just got word from Seattle Parks that Highland Park Spraypark will not open today. They have had parts on order to fix a problem that has shut it down at least twice since its official opening a week and a half ago, and in the meantime, a “temporary solution” stopped working, so it’s closed until the parts are installed. The parts have arrived and the installers will be at the spraypark tomorrow morning; whenever they’re done, the spraypark will open, but they don’t know how long that will take. Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad says the problem is a malfunctioning “electronic filter control valve (with) a leak in the pressure line.”

6 Replies to "Highland Park Spraypark update: Closed again for repairs"

  • Diane July 10, 2013 (11:27 am)

    this is not a good sign for the future of more sprayparks

  • Jim P. July 10, 2013 (8:55 pm)

    For over a hundred years, children have played in the sprinklers or with garden hoses just fine. One has to wonder just what’s going on here and who’s paying for the endless fixes?

    How hard can it be to squirt water out a pipe in amusing spray patterns so children can have some fun?

  • pupsarebest July 11, 2013 (6:05 am)

    Apparently, we can send a man to the moon, but…

  • AJP July 11, 2013 (10:09 am)

    Dear Jim,

    The spray parks and wading pools are more water-efficient than every kid playing in their own sprinkler. Less water usage = savings for home owners and renters and the city as well. Seems pretty complicated to me to make a system that sprays water at the touch of a button, a button that has to be really durable so all the kids playing with it don’t break it (not to mention the hoodlums that might mess around with it at night), and circulates clean water (it’s recycled, filtered, treated water, so it saves a lot more water than a sprinkler too) all day long. Also it has to weather the off-season weather, such as the occasional freeze. It’s a brand-new spray park, and brand-new things, especially mechanical things, often have a glitch or two that needs to get worked out.

  • Julie W. July 11, 2013 (11:39 am)

    Well said, AJP. The numerous sprayparks in Tacoma are awesome and I hope they put more in Seattle parks. There are bound to be a few glitches in the beginning.

    • WSB July 11, 2013 (12:08 pm)

      Update: It will reopen at 12:30 pm today (I’m putting up a separate brief mention, too).

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