ST. GEORGE — Developers behind Southern Utah’s newest water park say the project is on track to welcome visitors for the summer 2020 season.
Construction crews are set to break ground next week, and the park is projected to be near completion in early summer 2020.
In 2017, the St. George City Council approved plans to bring a water park to the Southern Utah desert after voting to abandon a segment of Middleton Drive to project developers. After two years of waiting, construction on Splash City Adventure Park, a tropical island-themed water park, can begin.
Splash City will sit on 10 acres of land just off of Interstate 15 near Washington City. Construction on the park couldn’t begin until a new street connecting Middleton Drive and Red Hills Parkway was added. The road was only recently completed.
Southern Utah resident Jim Mayoros is working as a part of the development team to bring the idea of Splash City to life. As the park creator, Mayoros said he recognized the demand for a close and inexpensive water park in Washington County.
Currently, the closest water parks are over 100 miles away in Las Vegas, with general admission starting at around $30 per person, per day.
“We just want to make a family-friendly, fun and local place,” Mayoros said.
Southern Utah residents are actively discussing the sustainability of necessary resources, such as water. Due to St. George’s desert ecosystem, the need to consistently support the area’s rapidly growing population has prompted the water district to creatively search out alternative water sources.
However, according to Mayoros, Splash City is hoping to meet the needs of St. George residents in an environmentally sustainable manner. The park will recycle its water, Mayoros said, and the only water that “really goes down the drain” is from the bathrooms. From there, the park only has to worry about evaporation.
“We use 12 times less water than an 80-room hotel, and that’s annually,” he said. “People are worried about the water, but really we’re one of the lowest usages out there.”
The park will include nine intertwined water slides, forming a tower. It will also have a 900-foot lazy river, a wave pool and splash pads for children. Four of the slides have already gained national attention on the Travel Channel show, “Extreme Waterparks,” which Mayoros said is sure to “draw people from quite a ways away.”
Construction on Splash City is projected to be completed in early summer, and the park is hoping to open its doors for the summer season in 2020. Splash City is expected to have one of the longest water park seasons.
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