CHIPPEWA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
NEWS RELEASE
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We know everyone is wondering what is happening with the Splash Pad. We are sorry we have been vague but needed to be due to law enforcement involvement.
At this time, we are able to give you an update. Mid-day on Wednesday, June 28th the temporary box (see pictures) that covered the city water meter/valve was vandalized by some teenagers.
They pried open the lid which exposed the water turn-on valve. Shortly after the teenagers left the area, a man came by and turned on the water at approximately 2:15 p.m.
In a Snapchat video, he said he wanted his child to “play in the splash pad”. Thank you to everyone who provided tips that allowed us to piece together what happened. The Vortex company was scheduled to be at the Splash Pad the very next day (Thursday, 29th) to hook up all the components and test the system.
Our plan was to have it open on Friday, June 30th. The Vortex employees arrived the night before (Wednesday, 28th) and drove by the site. They found the splash pad underwater and the internal components flooded due to the man turning on the city water valve and walking away. Because the Splash Pad had not been officially turned on and tested, over 4,000 gallons of water flowed underneath the Splash Pad and didn’t drain to the sewer.
This caused flooding underneath the pad and destroyed the internal electronics/computer. The actions of the teenagers breaking into the box and the man turning on the city water valve has caused approximately $8,000 in damages. The internal electronic components/computer needs to be replaced. The supply company has indicated that we might not be able to get the new components until mid-September. Needless to say, we are frustrated, sad, angry, disappointed and a whole host of other emotions that this happened.
The core group of volunteers have been working on the Splash Pad for over four years and we are just sick about what happened. We want nothing more than to see kids having fun and splashing around. We were within a day of having it opened! The actions of a few people have now delayed it by six weeks (and $8,000 in damages).
The Splash Pad is not the only park that has experienced vandalism. Sherman Park has been vandalized three times this year and the city needed to close the bathrooms for repairs. We all need to be vigilant and watch over our parks. If you see anyone that looks like they are destroying our parks, please call the police immediately. See something; Say Something. We will continue to keep you updated as we make progress on the repairs.
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