A string of five days starting Saturday that may see temperatures reach as high as 94 degrees means youth in Lathrop and Ripon can keep cool and have fun in interactive water play features.

That won’t be the case in Manteca even though the city has such a feature at Library Park in downtown that cost taxpayers $450,000 to build in 2012.

It is a direct result of city leaders in 2010 — believing they were being frugal — opted to leave out a water recycling feature in order to save spending an additional $150,000.

Ripon and Lathrop had both installed water recycling components in water play features they had built at the time.

As a result, the water used at the Manteca play feature — expensive treated municipal water — simply goes into the storm drain.

The feature was turned off in 2016 when then Gov. Jerry Brown declared a statewide drought emergency.

It was allowed to be turned back on in 2018 for limited use but then another drought as well as the pandemic hit.

And while the current drought is over, the state put rules in place going forward that make it impossible for jurisdictions that don’t  recycle water used in such play features to turn them on.

The current council and senior management — that was not involved in the 2010 decision — are now trying to find a way to repurpose the southern end of Library Park.

Interim City Manager Toni Landgren said Thursday that the city’s proposal to declare that portion of the park surplus has completed a 30-day period required by law that allowed other government jurisdictions the opportunity to buy the site.

Since no interest has been expressed by other government agencies, the city is now exploring with private sector entities that might be interested in a partnership to redo the park area in question.

Lundgren said It is possible a proposal could see the water feature turned on by a private party repurposing the area for quasi-public uses if they see value in adding recycling capabilities to enhance whatever they may propose for the acre.

At the same time, the city plans to relocate the nearby gazebo to another municipal park.
Since it was put in place, the homeless have used it virtually every day as a gathering place given it provides some protection from the elements.

As a result, the community in general has stopped using the gazebo and even visiting that section of the park.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com