Lubbock kids cool off with splash pads, city’s new low-cost aquatic option

The City of Lubbock debuted three public splash pads earlier this month in the midst of the city’s second summer without public pools.

“It’s not every day that we get to do something that’s so impactful for our community,” Lubbock Park Development Coordinator Kalee Robinson said at the grand opening of the new facilities on July 8.

“We’re looking forward to everybody enjoying these throughout the summers and making this a place where families can gather together, where children can play, where everybody can come and cool off," Robinson said. "And the best part about it: it's completely free.”

In 2022, the Lubbock City Council announced that over $5 million from federal COVID-19 relief funding would go towards the construction of these splash pads, replacing three of the four aging public pools that residents used to enjoy.

Those council members had their terms end in May of this year. Councilwoman Shelia Patterson-Harris for District 2, where the Mae Simmons Splash Pad is located, decided not to seek re-election after nearly eight years of service.

Gordon Harris won the election to replace her, and one of his first tasks as a city council member was to present the grand opening of the Mae Simmons Splash Pad.

“I’m thankful for the council that made this possible,” Harris said. “I can tell you this: the numbers weren’t matching up with the pools.”

With his predecessor in attendance, Gordon Harris asked Shelia Patterson-Harris to address the crowd as well.

After prompting a loud “good morning” from the children, she gave a heartfelt message about what splash pads could mean for Lubbock’s future.

“Listening to that, it’s awesome to hear the voice of young people. It lets you know that your community won’t die, that there’s life right here with us, that’s going to be here a little bit longer. So, I’m excited just to see this come to fruition,” Patterson-Harris said.

“When you put together a business, the greatest thing is to know you’re going to have steady customers. So, we’re going to have steady customers with these young people.”

While the City of Lubbock deemed the cost and maintenance of public pools too big a burden to bear, splash pads should offer a more cost-effective option to provide residents with a way to beat the heat.

There are two types of splash pad systems. Flow-through systems use and drain water the same as a typical home, while recirculation systems use an on-site water treatment system with filtration and chlorine.

Lubbock’s new splash pads each employ the latter system, despite many recirculation systems being linked to gastrointestinal outbreaks in years past, often due to a lack of proper maintenance.

The State of Texas requires splash pads to have automatic disinfection and regular pH maintenance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests checking splash pad chemicals every two to four hours of operation.

Robinson said the city is employing seasonal, part-time maintenance workers who will be responsible for maintaining the splash pads and surrounding areas, including conducting these chemical checks every few hours.

“So not only are we relying on a computer system, which is pretty state-of-the-art technology, but we’re also relying on their eyes,” Robinson said. “Manually testing with test strips and things like that.”

The free-to-use public splash pads are open seven days a week. They open at 10 a.m. every day except Monday when they open at noon, and they always close at 8 p.m.