Roe Park splash pad reopens

The popular Roe Park splash pad reopened this week after off-season adjustments were completed on the electrical grounding of the water pump.

The pad was closed last August after only about a week of use because of concerns that water from the fountains was being splashed outside the boundaries of the electrical bonding grid. Since then, the city expanded the grid to assure its safety. The bonding grid grounds the electrical charges from the water features, which include 18 below-ground-surface nozzles that spray water upward.

Officials had been concerned that high winds were directing the water outside of the grid, which extends beyond the concrete pad. So they dug up the concrete and extended the grid, said Greg Ruether, director of the city parks and recreation department.

The pad also includes a misty tower, water flower and sensor that shuts off the water when no one is present. It is part of a year-long $2.5 million overhaul that also included new tennis courts and shelter houses at the park, at 10400 Roe Ave.