As summer kicks into full swing and temperatures soar, families in the Saco-Biddeford area are enjoying the newly opened Saco splash pad.
With temperatures routinely in the 80s over the past few weeks, Saco Parks and Recreation Director Ryan Sommer said families have been flocking to the splash pad.
“We have seen a lot of families using the splash pad,” Sommer said. “On a day like this weekend when it’s been hot, we’ve had hundreds of people visit.”
The splash pad, which sits adjacent to a playground, checks the boxes for both kids and parents alike.
There’s no standing water, so parents don’t have to worry about their children’s safety in the water. There is plenty of parking and access to the nearby playground and public bathrooms.
But most of all, Sommer said, the price is right.
“It’s free,” he said.
The splash pad opened in May, after two years of planning from the Rotary Club of Biddeford-Saco and Saco Parks and Recreation.
Located at the Saco Community Center at 75 Franklin St., the park features many different water elements, including sprinkling from colorful structures, spraying from the ground, and being dumped from buckets.
Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail said the splash pad is a “wonderful addition” to the Saco community, and will be enjoyed by all.
“With the recent hot weather, we have already seen the outpouring of support and enjoyment by all who have visited,” MacPhail said.
The city opted for a splash pad rather than a public swimming pool for a few reasons, with safety and staffing being the No. 1 priorities.
Since a splash pad does not have standing water, it is highly unlikely that a child could drown at the splash pad.
The city also does not need to hire staff for a splash pad.
“For a public pool, you need lifeguards,” Sommer said. “It really comes down to staffing. Lifeguards need special certification, and they’re tough to find.”
The splash pad is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, and will remain open to the public through Indigenous Peoples Day weekend in October.
“I think it’s been a huge success,” Sommer said.
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