With the explosion of the wet play industry, many safety advocates and equipment manufacturers are clamoring for ASTM regulations. Currently, the manufacturers are responsible for creating a safe play environment for children without specific guidelines. One might say that this industry has fallen between the bureaucratic cracks. That is until the ASTM organized an exploratory committee, which met for the first time in February, to discuss this issue.

According to Teresa Hendy, co-chair of the interim task group that met to discuss the proposed standards, one of the primary concerns on the table involved the placement of dry playground equipment in a wet environment. To illustrate her point, she asked about specifying a tire swing in a shallow wading pool. "Will the kids be able to grip the chain when it is wet," Hendy asked. "And if they fall off, will the shallow water be enough to prevent an injury?" These are all important issues that the Harmonization task group will most likely be addressing. Members of two, already existing ASTM Committees-F15 Play Equipment and F24 Aquatic Devices- were assembled to define different wet play environments and identify common design and safety issues. In addition, a third standard from ANSI/NSPI will come into play to regulate water standards for swimming pools (1) and for aquatic recreation facilities (9).

Members of each committee bring a unique perspective to the negotiating table. The F15 committee establishes the standard for the design, construction and inspection of playground equipment, soft play equipment and resilient surfacing materials. John Scott of Disney Imagineering explained that the F1487 standard includes many safety provisions that should be included in the wet play regulations. "Pinching, head entrapment, falling from equipment . . . These kinds of accidents can happen regardless if the environment is wet or dry." He also indicated that the soft play industry (F1918), which has proliferated at fast food restaurants, offers many safety features that can carry over to aquatic parks. The F24 standard for amusement rides and devices, offers guidelines on how to set up a gated and supervised amusement park.

Though the development of an aquatic play standard is still in its infancy, many safety issues have already been proposed for consideration. Stephen Keifer, Public Pool Specialist for the Oregon Department of Human Services, requested that a science-based standard be developed to address some of the following concerns: water quality; impact-attenuating surface materials suitable for aquatic environments; design of stairs for mounting and dismounting wet equipment; and a determination of the effects of very shallow water on impact-attenuation.

The leading cause of injuries on public playground equipment (75%) result from falls to the surface or falls onto a piece of equipment. It seems likely that falls in a water park environment would also be one of the leading causes of injury. According to Hendy, the group discussed additional issues related to the surfaces used in a water park environment such as: 1) impact that chemicals would have on the surface, 2) the need for non-absorbent surface that is not slippery and 3) Chemicals used in the manufacturing of the surfacing material may leach into the water. If a city or municipality opts to install safety surfacing, they should allot a hefty budget for replacement, explained Scott. "We have noticed that the chlorine in the water causes the safety surfacing to deteriorate quicker."

One of the challenges that the harmonization committee will need to address is the diversity between water venues. At the top of the list is the amusement-style water park that is gated and supervised at all times. Gaining popularity is the converted municipal pool which often includes zero-depth entry, interactive water features, small-scale slides and wading pools. Spray parks have made a huge splash in public and private venues around the country. Just like a dry playground, the spray park requires very little continuous supervision because there is no standing water that is allowed to accumulate. Finally, many Landscape Architects are involved with the design of interactive fountains. These fountains serve a dual purpose-first, to augment the space they are in and second, to entice children to cool off.

Though each of these water venues is similar in composition, they all pose a different set of safety concerns. Members of the ASTM committee will decide if a new standard is necessary and what the scope of it will be. As the newest, up-and-coming development in the wet play industry, "spray parks" represent a unique design challenge for Landscape Architects.

Spray Parks

2) Surfacing Options: Most public health officers recommend following the guidelines related to pool decks. Creating a non-porous, non-slip surface is ideal. Lynn Arbuthnot of Waterplay Manufacturing explained that the application of a rubberized surface is popular, but may not be practical if the area is open to the public. "During off hours the area may attract skateboarders and inline skaters, creating a constant repair issue." Additionally, porous surfacing material may become a breeding ground for bacteria if not maintained properly. Arbuthnot suggests low maintenance concrete with a broom finish for a cost-effective surfacing solution. If the client wants to add color or design, add color agents to the concrete mix instead of painting over the concrete, which creates a slippery surface.

3) Site Amenities: Important considerations include path access, availability of bathrooms and change rooms, as well as drinking fountains, benches and trash receptacles and adequate shade from the sun. Young children are particularly attracted to spray parks. This means that considerate and safe design makes it often unnecessary for the adult supervisor to constantly be at arms length. It is therefore important to design comfortable seating, which could be as simple as surrounding the park with a number of grassy knolls.

3) Fencing: In an open park setting, a fence should only be used to separate the play space from a potential hazard. It is important to not restrict the flow between viewing parents and the children at play. In most regions where re-circulated water is in use or where there is more than two inches of water accumulating, a fence is required as the area may be deemed a "pool" or "wading pool" which carry strict guidelines.

4) Controllers and Activators: To facilitate water conservation, a controller with a 24-hour clock should be installed. This will allow the owner to program an open and close time for the splash pad. In addition, many manufacturers offer a kid-activated sensor that will turn the water on when kids are present and shut it off when the spray park is empty.

5) Water Quality: Due to water conservation policies, many areas are required to install a re-circulated water system. In order to maintain proper sanitation and public safety standards, the area must be managed as would a public swimming pool. If water quality is a concern then you may want to avoid equipment that has nozzles within a child's reach. Children, particularly from ages two to six, tend to drink from the spray nozzles. A viable alternative to re-circulated water is potable drinking water that is drained into the city's sewer system.

6) Drainage: Provide an overflow drainage system to limit water depth to 2" or less if the main drain is blocked. Drainage outlets should be large enough to prevent dangerous suction or vortex and catch basin covers large enough to accommodate the volume of water escaping the park. The openings on the catch basin should be sized to ward off any finger or toe entrapment.

7) Grades and Slopes: Preferred grades are 2% to 5% with 6.5% maximum in wet areas. Grades of up to 12% may be used for dry pedestrian areas. Where walkways slope away from the spray park, provide adequate drainage in the adjacent softscape. Use water as long as possible before draining away. For example, a long 2% slope with a meandering drainage channel flowing through several play stations can increase the overall play value.