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Council hears splash-pad repair, water-use and Main Street construction updates
Summary
City staff updated the council on repairs to the new splash pad, interactions with the Oregon Health Authority, water-use estimates (staff cited ~100 gallons per minute and an extrapolated high-day figure), and progress on Main Street paving and landscaping; councilors asked for budget clarity on operating costs.
City staff told Cottage Grove City Council that they have repaired a failed electronic breaker in the splash pad’s timer system and temporarily modified operation while working with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to meet recirculation and treatment requirements.
Director Stewart explained the city originally purchased a recirculating system but modified it to avoid immediate OHA permitting requirements; staff are consulting OHA because recirculating-and-treat designs require OHA approval similar to a swimming-pool permit. Stewart said the OHA plan-review fee the city paid was about $1,000 and that a private monitoring firm quoted roughly $4,000 per month to provide daily chlorination testing and oversight.
Staff estimated the pad uses approximately 100 gallons per minute when operating; they extrapolated that a continuous, busy-day runtime could translate into roughly 66,000 gallons in a day. Councilors pressed staff for clarity on how water and wastewater treatment costs are handled; staff said splash-pad consumption is currently treated as a city parks operating cost rather than a separately charged utility line, and committed to researching treatment-chemicals and wastewater impacts for the next budget cycle.
In related infrastructure news, the city manager reported that paving on the south side of Main Street is largely complete and that crews will pour curbs and continue work on the north side, with site furnishings and plantings still to be installed. The manager also briefed the council on storm-related lightning strikes that damaged trees in town and required rapid removal.
Why it matters: The splash pad is a high-visibility amenity frequently used by families; operating choices affect water consumption and potential permit and oversight costs. The council asked staff to quantify recurring costs and consider whether the budget should specifically account for splash-pad water and treatment in future cycles.
What’s next: Staff will report back with detailed cost estimates for water consumption, chemical treatment and any third-party monitoring costs; they will also pursue potential connections to effluent (wastewater reuse) for irrigation at some parks in future years.
