As we ventured further through Brooklyn approaching the Brooklyn Bridge, I noticed that these water parks seemed to be popping up everywhere! So I did a little research and found out that in 1996, British Columbia named these creations "spray pools" and defined them as "an artificially constructed depression or basin for use by children, into which potable water is sprayed but not allowed to accumulate in the bottom." After they were officially labelled they began "springing up" everywhere!
These spray pools typically employ drains in the pavement so as to not overflow nearby landscape. The most eco-friendly designs will recycle the water and use it over and over again. However, there are also spray pools that draw from fresh water sources that ultimately end up wasting a lot of valuable water just for the creation of a social space. The good thing is that most spray pools are set on timers so that they only go off in increments or must be manually triggered by a user. The two which I visited seemed to stop the spraying about five minutes after first being triggered.
Throughout the course of my research, I discovered that these spray pools are especially popular in urban settings. They are often used as deterrents for children who might otherwise open fire hydrants. Summertime play in fire hydrant water is a popular yet dangerous pastime in many urban areas. It not only wastes a lot of water, but it also dangerously lowers the water pressure for the firefighters who could potentially need it to stop a fire at any time. Therefore, in addition to creating a social space, it seems as though these spray pools have other benefits as well!
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