Sustainability is an important issue to which municipalities have also begun to devote increasing attention, according to the Telos Sustainability Monitor. De Watervallei Spray Park in Capelle aan den IJssel (NL) is a splendid example of sustainable design of public space. This water playground manages water in a sustainably manner, thanks to its circular system. In fact, De Watervallei recently received the Circular Play Award.
Sustainability & circularity
Sustainability focuses on the preservation of environmental, social and economic factors. A sustainable approach to the use of raw materials, components and products offers us the assurance that we may continue to enjoy all our environment has to offer, both now and in the future.
One means of creating a sustainable environment is circularity. Circularity focuses on the reuse of raw materials and materials, with a view to minimising any waste of products, materials and natural resources (such as water). Ideally, the cycle from raw material to residual product should be an endless one, in which the residual product again serves as raw material for a new cycle.
Circularity applied to spray parks
Spray Parks are water playgrounds, whose nozzles and fountains stimulate interactive water play by means of combinations of water jets, sound, cause-effect relationships and elements that can rotate 360°. Interactive Spray Parks have become something of an urban trend. They render a municipality both enjoyable and socially oriented. Moreover, water play helps reduce heat stress and has a positive effect on human health, as it promotes physical activity.
Above all, a Spray Park is an appropriate addition to any municipality in pursuit of further sustainability. After all, considerable attention has been paid to the various means of saving water in such a park: The equipment turns itself off when no children are playing, whereas special nozzles reduce water consumption while producing the same spray pattern, thus maintaining their favourable attraction value. Moreover, a specially designed circulation system ensures that almost all the water from the Spray Park is collected, filtered and reused: A circular system in other words.
The Spray Park’s drain traps any dirt and debris, then conveys the collected water to the water treatment system. This system maintains the required water quality by applying advanced water treatment technologies. The water is then pumped back to the play equipment. This vouches for the continuous flow of recycled water to and from the Spray Park. Furthermore, we always construct an overspray zone around the Spray Park, which collects any water that may get blown over the edges. The water collected in this manner is therefore also treated and reused.
Circular Play Award 2020
Watergames & More constructed a public Spray Park known as De Watervallei in the Schollebos forest, in the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands. The Spray Park was completed in cooperation with our partner Waterplay Solutions Corp. During the process of developing the plans, however, the city council issued a firm demand: The Spray Park’s water consumption absolutely had to be managed in a healthy and responsible manner. In the end, the Spray Park not only met the stringent circularity requirement, but also won the Circular Games Award 2020; a prize for the Netherlands’ most favourably constructed playground with circular values. Read more about this award here.
Further information?
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