Splash pad Q&A: drought

Most pads stay open during droughts because they recirculate water, using less than home irrigation or pools. Some western cities reduce operating hours during severe drought (Stage 2 or 3 water restrictions). Newer pads use 90%+ recirculation, making them surprisingly water-efficient.

Splash pads use 20-50 gallons per minute on flow-through systems and far less on recirculating systems. Drought research from California and the Southwest concludes that recirculating designs with daily filtration and chlorination cut water use by 70-90% versus flow-through, making them viable even in stage 3 drought conditions when paired with shorter operating windows.