Wakarusa splash pad open for limited hours as town officials announce upgrades on water treatment facility
WAKARUSA, Ind - The town of Wakarusa is currently facing water issues exacerbated by the shortage of rain, a water main break, and a major fire. All of this caused the closure of a major attraction in the area.
Thankfully, the Wakarusa splash pad will be open this weekend to give local families a spot to cool off again.
Town officials recently announced the inconveniences will be worthwhile, as a multi-million-dollar project is underway to expand the town's water treatment facilities.
“We are in the middle of maintenance on our water towers,” said Rocco Rigsby, the town council president.
The town of Wakarusa just announced a $5 million project to upgrade and expand the water treatment facility.
The area has two, 200,000-gallon water towers that are being worked on.
Rocco Rigsby, the town council president, said it's happening in stages and limiting the amount of water available temporarily.
“So our east tower was first, it had to get taken town, the maintenance happens on it, gets refilled back up once the maintenance was completed, has to get re-chlorinated and tested, after the first test it has to sit for, I believe, 24 hours, and then pass a second test.” Rigsby said. “Once that’s ready and two tests are complete, it goes fully back online.”
The maintenance is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Both water towers should be up to full capacity by July 1st but in the meantime, the town splash pad at Memorial Park, which uses a lot of water, had not opened for the season.
Dawn Martz, the property manager for the Countryside Estates Community, feels there's still plenty to do in town even without the splash pad.
“That does not mean that our kids have to be bored,” she said. “The nice thing about Wakarusa is that everything is in walking distance and there are things that kids can do. There is a park over by the splash pad, there's also a town park, there is the dime store, and if parents are willing and able, there's a swimming pool in Nappanee that’s accessible to families.”
Thursday afternoon, Wakarusa officials announced the splash pad will be open for limited hours starting Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.