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Danville’s plan was to reopen the water features in its parks April 1, but chilly weather is causing officials to rethink the need for kids to cool off.
Easter week or not, rain is forecast on and off for the next five days as well as below-normal temperatures.
Danville has water features in the playgrounds at Sycamore Valley, Diablo Vista, Oak Hill and Hap Magee Ranch parks.
Maintenance Services Manager Jed Johnson said that the features are usually in operation from April 1-Oct. 1. Now the plan is to hold off on activating the features until Monday, April 5 – weather permitting. Anyone with questions regarding the water features can contact Maintenance Services at 314-3450.
In the summer of 2008, East Bay Municipal Water District mandated that all children’s water features in the parks be turned off, due to the water shortage caused by two dry winters. Water cannot be recycled in children’s water features as it is in fountains, due to health concerns.
EBMUD lifted the ban last spring, allowing the water features to be restarted July 1. Danville at that time established the operating hours of its water features to be noon-6 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends.
Hap Magee Ranch Park has a button to activate the water feature, and those at Sycamore Valley, Oak Hill and Diablo Vista parks are programmed to turn on and off at intervals to conserve water.
By Dolores Fox Ciardelli
