It is amazing what 145 gallons of water a minute can do.

And if you judge the success of a recreational amenity by the intensity and longevity of joyful laughter, smiles and giggles of kids or a 2 year-old mesmerized literally for more 10 minutes staring in wonder at a small stream of water arcing from the ground, then the City of Manteca has a blockbuster summer hit on its hands.

City officials Thursday officially opened the new splash pad at Woodward Park.

The $3.4 million project was a vision 20 years ago when Toni Lundgren was a Parks & Recreation staff member.

Thursday, as city manager, Lundgren was lauding Manteca’s latest recreation amenity.

“I can’t wait to see all the laughter and memories that will be made,” Lundgren said.

She didn’t have to wait long.

Councilman Charlie Halford started the anything-but-dry run of a demonstration of the slash pad’s features before gathered kids were turned loose, by pushing a large “button” that started water flowing into a vessel hanging from a pole above Mayor Gary Singh’s head.

Singh, who came dressed for the occasion with swim attire complete with googles, stood with outstretched arms waiting — and smiling.

After perhaps 30 seconds, the mayor got what he was waiting for — a drenching — that was joined with the sound of laughter from the 100 or so gathered to celebrate the opening of what promises to be the coolest feature in Manteca’s growing network of 70 plus parks.

“This is a place where kids can burn off energy and parents can pretend they are relaxing while they are chasing them around,” Singh said in a light-hearted musing as he spoke to the gathering. “Places like this are what being people together in everyday life.”

Councilwoman Regina Lackey, who represents District 2 where the 52 acre community park is located, noted “Woodward Park has long been one of the most cherished gathering places in the community.”

“Projects like this truly matter,” Lackey said, adding amenities like the splash pad are what “makes community really happen.”

Her words were underscored minutes later by young kids — complete strangers to each other before frolicking in arching spray jets — interacted in the water as if they were lifelong buddies.

With 26 interactive spray features, there’s plenty of ways to have fun.

Lundgren noted it was just more than a splash pad designed from the ground up inside a gigantic patch of dirt that hosted aging swings ringed by a circular a sidewalk for more than 22 years.

That swing, by the way, has been replaced with new swings located dozens of yards away in a more inviting location closer to the city’s largest playground apparatus that will soon have a slide replaced.

The splash pad was designed to allow for other uses — such as gatherings when the water is not turned on.

There are numerous seating options within the space ranging from standard concrete picnic tables to seating walls and rock slabs of various heights designed to provide “natural” seating options suitable in size for tots up to adults.

No cutting corners

It also has two other features that you won’t find in run-of-the-mill splash pads — landscaping that is part of the internal design and shade structures.

Lundgren noted shade structures are expensive options but are key to creating a pleasant overall experience, especially when temperatures in Manteca soar past 90 degrees and even beyond the century mark on cloudless summer days.

“There was no cutting corners,” Lundgren.

It was a desire to cut costs in 2012 by previous city leadership that rendered Manteca’s first splash pad at Library Park useless.

Leaders cut out a $100,000 plus water treatment plant component to recycle and clean water instead of opting to send every drop used directly into Manteca’s wastewater treatment system.

The end result were limited hours and days of operations plus during droughts the slash pad was completely shut down by state order.

Then, seven years ago, the use of splash pads that weren’t equipped to recycle water was banned by new state water conservation regulations. The $450,000 investment that was the focal point of a $1.1 million Library Park expansion and renovation hasn’t been used since.

Lundgren said the city is exploring options to rethink and/or revive Library Park. She noted investing in upgrades for that splash pad without a holistic plan in place and being implemented would be “flushing more money down the toilet.”

Library Park is among the elements of a downtown master plan that is on the process of being developed.

Sustainable amenity,

hours & pad use rules

When all splash pad features are in play, it is using 145 gallons of water a minute.

Almost all of the water — except for evaporation and such — is recycled through a mini treatment plant housed to the south of the splash pad and uses.

That is in addition to what water is used at an outdoor shower that is part of the splash pad.

The water play addition is also compliant with ADA standards.

The splash pad hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with its “season” of operation expected to be from early spring to early fall.

The rules are as follows:

*No drinking of the water.

*Children must be supervised by adults at all times.

*No running or rough play; no climbing or hanging on equipment.

*No food, drinks, glass, or pets on the splash pad.

*No bikes, skateboards, scooters, or other wheeled toys allowed.

*Swim diapers required for children not toilet trained.

The project also includes replacement restrooms between the picnic shelter and splash pad, new restrooms near the storm retention basin, and sidewalk connecting with the permit we sidewalk from Woodward Avenue so pedestrians do not have to walk on the parking lot entrance driveway or the grass.

More improvements coming

Besides the playground slide replacement, there is another addition to Woodward Park moving forward.

It is an outdoor fitness court that will be located immediately to north of the splash pad and west of the picnic shelter.
It could be in place by late 2027.

The fitness court is designed to provide a full body workout in only seven minutes, all for free.

Users rotate through all seven zones: Core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility and bend on the fitness court for a circuit training workout.

Each of the seven stations can be used for hundreds of exercise variations, providing opportunities for those beginning their fitness journey to elite athletes, and for every user in between.

There is an app you can down load providing step-by-step exercises.

It also offers training plans including a seven-minute workout using the fitness court. Unlike nearby fitness courts in Patterson, Delta College, Stanford, Hayward, Elk Grove, Oakley, and Lincoln, the Woodward Park project will include and outdoor fitness studio.
City of Manteca Recreation Supervisor Brandy Clark indicated the city is looking at programing classes at the outdoor studio as well as making it available for independent instructors to book for their workout classes.

Typically, the classes offered at outdoor studios include Zumba, yoga, Pilates, dance and a number of other outdoor classes.