Milford’s shiny new splash pad barely got a chance to cool anyone off before getting shut down. Families who showed up this week to the water feature at Five Points Landing Park were greeted by a closed sign after multiple complaints that the surface was dangerously slick and several children slipped and fell. The splash pad had only opened at the end of May and was closed over the weekend while crews prepared to address the safety issues. The city has not released a timetable for when it will reopen.
According to WKRC, crews were expected to be at the splash pad on Monday to make changes intended to make the area safer. The city opted to close the feature after complaints that the surface was “very slippery” and that some children had fallen.
The fountain is part of Five Points Landing Park in downtown Milford at 527 Lila Ave. As outlined by the City of Milford and local guides, the park hosts the Saturday farmers market and a sensor-activated splash feature that families flock to during warm weather.
The splash pad opened May 29, WKRC noted, making the closure an early setback for families hoping for an easy, in-town way to cool off this summer. It was not immediately clear what specific repairs or surface treatments crews will make or how long the closure will last.
Safety Context And Next Steps
State lawmakers have previously examined splash pad safety after a 2019 injury prompted proposals to limit water pressure and make other technical fixes. Coverage of that push, often referred to as “Makenna's Law,” shows the state has considered technical rules aimed at preventing serious injuries from high-pressure nozzles, according to Ideastream/WKSU.
For now, Milford’s downtown splash feature will stay closed while city crews work on the reported hazards. Officials have not released a reopening date, so families will need to keep an eye on the city’s official channels for updates as the fixes move forward.
