Tipping bucket
Definition
An overhead bucket — also called a splash bucket or dump bucket — that slowly fills with water and pivots on a hinge to release its load on kids waiting below.
Tipping buckets are the mechanical workhorse behind every classic 'big dump' moment at a spray park. The bucket fills via a small inlet jet, becomes top-heavy, pivots on its trunnion, and releases anywhere from 5 to 100 gallons in a single splash before the cycle restarts.
Most commercial tipping buckets cycle every 30–90 seconds depending on inlet flow rate. They are mechanically simple but loud, which is why parks departments place them away from toddler zones.