The Clay Center Utility Park and Zoo tentatively plan to open a splash pad for the 2026 summer season. The pad will be located north and west of the new welcome center building that was finished last fall.
Public Utilities Superintendent Scott Glaves said the splash pad has been a long time coming for the Zoo; however, facilities first had to be in place, like public restrooms and an updated entrance section.
Glaves also said the timeline was chosen after they found a new company to work with that was more affordable.
Rather than contract out the construction of the splash pad as initially planned, the Public Utilities Commission found a company out of Ohio that sells splash pad kits.
These kits allow the purchaser to do the installation themselves.
This will save funds by letting the PUC and volunteers help to do most of the rough-in construction, while relying on a local contractor for the concrete work, Glaves said.
They will also purchase the kit within a few weeks to lock in current pricing.
Construction is slated to begin next spring.
The splash pad will include a refill bucket, a turtle that sprays water, a palm tree that cascades water down its branches, three spouts from the ground, and more.
It will be powered by a button and placed on a timer, allowing kids to continue to have fun, while saving water when no one is present.
Glaves said additional features can be purchased in the future, depending on funds and public feedback.
“The fundraising committee has been working on this project for a long time, and we had to find a different way to make it work,” he said. “It was also like a lightbulb moment – kids don’t care about how it looks, they just want to play and get wet.”
“It’s exciting, we’ve been talking about it for a couple of years, and now we get to focus on this part of the project, it will be fun. It’s exciting to be at the finish line.”
Glaves said current project funds will be tight, depending on the cost of concrete.
However, the PUC hopes that Match Day funds will help with such final touches.
Additional projects will be underway at the Park & Zoo, including small animal enclosures and continued paving of the walking trails, both of which are funded by project-specific donations.
