Wading Through ADA Compliance

With changes to Federal Laws regarding ADA compliance, many cities and towns have community pools that now require major renovations to meet new regulations. This leaves community leaders looking for solutions to redevelop these valuable assets and better serve the needs of the entire community.

Below is a story how one city replaced an existing wading pool to find a cost-effective solution to ADA compliance and bring a new aquatic play experience to a community park. Check out how the City of Columbia Heights found a solution to create a fun, engaging and accessible aquatic experience for all its residents.

A New Way to Splash at the Park

The City of Columbia Heights, Minnesota knew that their outdated wading pool would need substantial modifications to comply with updated Federal Laws regarding Americans with Disabilities Act. City officials turned to Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS) for a cost-saving solution. Rather than a costly update of the existing pool, CRS suggested a complete wading pool replacement with a state-of-the-art Splashpad that would provide accessibility and sensory stimulating activities.

“CRS helped find the right solution to replace our antiquated wading pool through collaboration with residents, community leaders and our engineering firm. Columbia Heights now has an incredible space that can be enjoyed by all of our residents.”

Kevin Hansen, Director of Public Works

The City worked with CRS to create a Splashpad that incorporated over 40 spray features to create a fresh aquatic play experience. With the incorporation of misting loops, water cannons, dumping features and ground sprays, CRS helped Columbia heights create a safe, interactive water feature that enhances the picnic structure and playground area to create a space that can be enjoyed by both families and individuals of all abilities.

When asked about the new Splashpad, Kevin Hansen, the Director of Public Works for the City of Columbia Heights had this to say, “CRS helped find the right solution to replace our antiquated wading pool through collaboration with residents, community leaders and our engineering firm. Columbia Heights now has an incredible space that can be enjoyed by all of our residents.”

The new Splashpad uses a Vortex command center to create unique water sequencing events and timing to the various elements to ensure a fresh aquatic experience. It was also designed using a flow-through Water Management System that does not require filtration before returning water to the City’s storm to ensure a continued reduction of maintenance costs.