TOLEDO, Ohio — As the heat wave continues in northwest Ohio, the splash pad at the Rev. H.V. Savage Park in central Toledo remains off.
"All the kids ride by, the parents keep asking us 'has anyone been up there to check about the water?,'" said Rose Parcher, who lives by the park. "No one really has been up there that I've seen, so we're just wondering."
On Monday, WTOL 11 received a statement from the city of Toledo saying:
"Splash Pads are regulated by the Ohio Department of Health. To ensure the health and safety of our residents, we are currently working to bring the Splash Pad at Savage Park in compliance with new regulations. Crews will be working on Tuesday, and we hope to be in compliance this week."
But the pad remains off, as the city says they are still working to fix equipment issues.
The city shared an updated statement Thursday afternoon, saying
"We have been exploring all possible solutions to allow the Splash Pad to operate, including installing a mechanical pump to reduce the water flow, and looking for replacement parts. Unfortunately, the age of the splash pad makes these adjustments difficult and we apologize for the delay in opening.
Our engineers think they have identified a solution that will allow us to open the Splash Pad safely and in compliance with (Makenna's) Law soon.
We should be able to provide you with an update tomorrow."
Ohio House Bill 178, also known as Makenna's Law, is a bill that limits water pressure at splash pads, spas, pools and water parks across the state.
The splash pad is not the only location in central Toledo facing heat-related issues.
"We have been having issues (with air conditioning) for the last two weeks, and that was due to the upgrades to our WiFi," said Reggie Williams, executive director of the Frederick Douglass Community Association.
The association recently replaced its WiFi routers, calling a digital issue with their HVAC system for the building, according to Williams. But, the building's gymnasium is on a separate HVAC system, so it has remained air conditioned for summer programs and for kids to use.
"We still just haven't resolved the issues, so thankfully we have the gym, and we have volleyball as you can see today and we have basketball and then dodgeball going," Williams said. "Then we took the youth over to Roosevelt Pool l for a refresher."
Kids in the area want the splash pad to be fixed, though, so everyone can have a place to cool down.
"I would be kinda disappointed and upset," said 11-year-old Taryn Sobczak. "I cannot go to it anymore and cool down. "