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Financially Fashionable Eliminating Swimming Pools Over the years, the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department has tried to find a winning combination to please its population with places to cool off in the hot summer months. Three years ago, the department incorporated family aquatic centers with a newer idea--spraygrounds. Because of the success with spraygrounds and aquatic centers in cost and entertainment value, Oklahoma City plans to eliminate swimming pools altogether. “We’re reacting to trends in aquatic recreation. Adults and children are getting bored with pools. They want something more interactive, and with spraygrounds they have plenty of buttons and levers to push and pull to activate different features,” says Whisenhunt. In Oklahoma City, spraygrounds have been installed near shaded pavilions and playgrounds. “It gives it a family affair,” says Whisenhunt. “It doesn’t create control problems. The parents can sit underneath the picnic pavilion and keep an eye on the kids. The kids can jump back and forth while the parents are in the middle, and have a clear view of either side.” In Tacoma, Wash., there has been a three-fold increase in usage of the sprayground versus the wading pool. Kate McCulley |
