A highly anticipated splash pad on the east side of Buda is in the early stages of construction and set to open later this summer.
This will be the first public water amenity Buda has provided, with another planned to open in 2019 for City Park. The city does not currently have a public swimming pool, although there are several private ones within subdivisions and at the local YMCA.
After being identified as a top priority, the city allocated $360,000 for the Green Meadows Splash Pad through Proposition 5 Park and Trail Improvements in the 2014 Bond Package
The water feature was originally brought forth as a community need by focus groups for the 2012 Buda Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Master Plan.
After being identified as a top priority, the city allocated $360,000 for the Green Meadows Splash Pad through Proposition 5 Park and Trail Improvements in the 2014 Bond Package, according to Parks and Recreation Director Greg Olmer.
The Public Works Department broke ground on the project in the Green Meadows Park in April.
The splash pad, with more than 19 water features including water tunnels, spray jets and geysers, will be operational through a push button and active for a set amount of time “to ensure efficient use of utility costs,” according to a press release.
The city is working with HOAs to set operational hours for the splash pad. Currently, city park hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., but the city wants to take into account when it gets dark to conserve water. The official hours of the splash pad will be posted on signs in the park once open.
Olmer said the city is thinking about having the water feature functioning for the public in the months between March and October.
The annual budget for upkeep of the splash pad for a March-to-October season is $4,200, which covers chemical and water costs, according to Buda Public Information Officer David Marino.
Water for the splash pad will be supplied from the Goforth Water Special Utility District. It will use a recirculation system in which water will be treated through several processes to e
nsure a clean water supply.
“It has a holding tank of about 5,000 gallons. That (water) is chemically treated with chlorine, then goes under an ultra violet light as well, before it’s pumped into the splash amenities on the splash pad and once it goes down the drain it goes back into a sand filter, to clean it and sanitize it with the chlorine and UV again,” Olmer said.
Vortex, Inc. will soon be installing the plumbing and the splash features and pouring the concrete for the splash pad floor. The city will be building the pump house and the bathrooms. The city does not yet have an official open date for the splash pad.
The six-acre Green Meadows Park is located off Green Meadows Lane near Tom Green Elementary School.
