Nothing tempts venturous youngsters quite like the sudden appearance of a big pool of fresh water.
Such has been the case in the last few days, as heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday filled detention ponds throughout the city.
Parents should keep a watchful eye on children who want to play in the water, says Ron Wardner, construction and maintenance superintendent for the City of Red Deer’s Environmental Services Department.
Better yet, keep them out of the water altogether, Wardner said on Thursday.
The city has erected signs at each of its detention ponds warning that water levels can rise quickly. There are no lifeguards when areas that had served as public parks become filled with water, he said.
While there are no dangerous undertows and the water is relatively clean — maybe cleaner than some lakes — children can drown even in shallow water and there is always a possibility of contaminants from the street coming in with the water, said Wardner.
Despite the signs, some people still like to play in the water when the ponds are full, he said.
Fencing them off is not an option.
The city’s detention ponds were built to regulate the flow of storm water into the storm sewer system, preventing it from overloading and flooding streets and homes, he said. They function well in emergencies, such as the heavy storm that swept through on Monday and Tuesday.
The rest of the time, 47 of the city’s 57 detention ponds are dry most of the year and serve as public parks.
Some have goalposts for playing soccer. The remainder are constructed wetlands, such as those in the new areas of West Park.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com