TOLEDO, Ohio — Monday's high temperature was 99 degrees, but it felt like 103.
People at the Rev. H.V. Savage Park off Nebraska Avenue said on hot days, the park and the splash pad are usually packed. But with no water in sight, neither were the people.
"The pools need to be open right now," said community member Marie Spearman.
Spearman is not the only one not happy about a dry and hot splash pad at Savage Park. City officials say the faucet might not be turned on until later this week.
"I wish they did it sooner," she said. "It's too hot. Our Black people out here sweating."
Dorinda Davis, a leader at the City of Zion Church next to the park, also said it's common to see the splash pad packed on hot days.
"Once summer hits and the sun comes out, we start to get our hot days, it generally is open," she said. "It's a staple that we expect to see."
While Davis doesn't live in the neighborhood, she said it's vital for the splash pad to be open, especially for people who don't have a way to cool down at home.
"If you don't have the AC, you don't have relief from the heat, it's nice to have something in the community, a central place where not just kids but adults too, can get some relief from the heat," Davis said.
City of Toledo spokesperson Amy Voigt told WTOL 11 in a statement Monday the city is working to reopen the splash pad:
"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."
Davis wishes it would have happened before the heat wave.
"I hope that once they are able to come out and inspect that it wouldn't be a great length of time before the splash pad is able to open, because it's hot right now," she said.
The city keeps information on the Savage Splash Pad and other pools and pads in Toledo on its website.