City Temporarily Turns Off Water At Popular Splash Pad After Numerous Parents Complain

CHATSWORTH (CBSLA.com) — A place for kids to cool off in the San Fernando Valley has been temporarily closed after numerous parents complained.

The city turned off the water at the popular Splash Pad at Mason Park in Chatsworth Friday after receiving complaints from parents, who said their kids got sick after playing in the water.

"I thought that something smelled funny. It just had an off smell," said Charles Pease, whose 2-year-old daughter got sick a few days after they visited two weeks ago.

Pease said she had a fever that spiked to 103, and got a rash that spread all across her body.

Claudia Moreno says her three daughters experienced similar symptoms after coming to the Splash Pad last week.

"She started with a fever first, and then she got the fever, and then she had really bad stomach ache and like a rash," she said.

Another parent tells a similar story. She took her 2-year-old son to the Splash Pad at the end of June.

"And then in the morning, that's when I noticed pink eye," she said.

The city says it monitors the water quality daily and only closed it down in an abundance of caution.

A spokesperson for Recreation and Parks says the water samples are back and the chlorine levels are normal.

But, as for Pease, he says he has no plans to bring his daughter to the Splash Pad but is happy the city is taking steps to make sure that it is safe.

"They have a responsibility to be safe. It's a public park," he said.

The city says the Splash Pad is scheduled to reopen Tuesday.