Statement by the City’s Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille
Mayor De Lille opens Scottsville spray park
Note to editors: this is an extract from a speech delivered by the Executive
Mayor, Patricia de Lille, at the opening of the new spray park in Scottsville
today, 15 January 2015.
The City of Cape Town is continually looking for new ideas and innovative
solutions to challenges in order to create an inclusive, safe city that can be
enjoyed by all.
In line with this commitment, we have set out to ensure that all residents enjoy
quality social amenities.
One of the new projects we started in this regard is the development of spray
parks for communities to enjoy during the hot summer months.
These water-wise spray parks provide timed and interactive water spray
features, including above-ground structures like spray cannons, spray loops
and dunking buckets, as well as various ground sprayers.
To date, the City has invested R14 million into developing these spray parks in
areas such as Valhalla Park, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Ocean View and Scottsville
in Kraaifontein.
The first spray park opened in the Valhalla Park Family Recreation Hub in
December 2013 and the Khayelitsha spray park opened in December 2014.
Today we opened the most recently completed spray park in Scottsville,
where the community has been eagerly awaiting the new amenity and
investment into their area.
The City has spent approximately R3,5 million to develop the Scottsville spay
park.
In the coming weeks, we will open two more spray parks in Nyanga and
Ocean View.
Construction of the spray park in Dunoon is currently underway and the
facility will be operational by the next summer season.
This innovative solution was introduced to address the limited space available
for recreational facilities.
While the concept has been used globally for decades, these facilities are a
first for the Western Cape.
There are many benefits to these spray parks, such as:
 They are all flexible in their design
 They appeal to all ages
 They can be tailor-made to suit a wide range of open spaces
 The facility is intended to attract the whole family to enjoy quality
recreational spaces
 Parents can also watch their children and introduce them to water
activities in a safe manner
 The soft spray is unintimidating and gently familiarises children with the
water
 Swimming skills are not needed to enjoy the spray parks. From the
tiniest toddler to an adventurous 12-year-old, or persons who are not
able-bodied, this space is safe and accessible for all members of the
community
 From a sustainability perspective, spray parks use considerably less
water than swimming pools
 Water is recirculated and treated through a process similar to that of a
swimming pool filtration system
 As there is no standing water, there is also no need for lifeguards
because there is no risk of drowning
We call on the community to look after this facility and share with the City the
responsibility to take care of it so that many more generations can enjoy this
wonderful social space.
As the City, we do all we can within our mandate and budget to provide
communities with quality services; however, communities also need to take
ownership of their areas and look after the parks.
These facilities are a testament to the City’s commitment to provide safe,
inclusive recreational spaces for all residents to enjoy.