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Rowlett council approves nearly $1.79M in Wet Zone upgrades including splash pad and new play features
Summary
The Rowlett City Council voted to authorize a $1.133 million splash pad purchase and a $655,954.48 play‑features contract for the Wet Zone water park, approving both measures six to one. Staff said procurement uses cooperative contracts and that operations-and-maintenance planning is underway but maintenance-cost estimates were not yet available.
The Rowlett City Council authorized two contracts on Nov. 19 to rebuild and refresh the Wet Zone water park, approving a $1.133 million splash‑pad purchase from Waterplay Solutions and a $655,954.48 purchase of play features from Vortex/Aquatic Structures International.
Brittany Farr, the city’s director of economic and community engagement, said the splash pad is approximately 3,900 square feet, will include 30 water features and a separate water‑tank/chemical control system, and is designed for all ages and accessibility. On the arena play features, Farr said the top pool element will be a multi‑level elevated play structure with slides and interactive components.
“This will be the new approximately 14‑foot, three‑level elevated play structure which includes two new water slides, 13 new play features and three standalone spray water dump features,” Farr said during her presentation.
Council discussion focused on budget sources, timeline and long‑term maintenance. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Wingett confirmed the Wet Zone improvement account balance cited in the packet — about $2.98 million, which staff said includes a previously issued bond — would cover the purchases. Farr said staff evaluated multiple vendors and emphasized price and schedule; Vortex indicated roughly a 16‑week lead time, with staff aiming for a spring opening and a Memorial Day readiness target.
Several council members pressed for more specificity on operations and maintenance. Councilmember Shoup said past equipment failures and poor upkeep left the park in an “appalling and unsafe condition” when staff inspected it; another council member said they could not vote to spend over $1 million without a maintenance‑cost estimate. Farr and staff responded that operations‑and‑maintenance planning is being coordinated with Public Works and that the contracts include more durable, “plug‑and‑play” replacement parts.
Councilmember Bowers moved to approve the splash‑pad purchase; the motion passed six to one. The later Vortex play‑features purchase passed by the same margin after similar discussion.
The council’s approvals authorize the city manager to execute contracts through cooperative purchasing agreements and set the projects into the procurement schedule; staff said they will report schedule updates and follow‑up maintenance planning to council as work proceeds.
What happens next: contracts may be executed immediately, vendor schedules will determine delivery and installation (staff cited a target of spring installation), and staff will return with operational details and timelines for opening.
