Reflecting an energy-saving drive amid high oil prices, the district shortens overall operating periods while concentrating hours during summer vacation. Parks across the district offer a range of facilities — combination water play structures, foot-wading pools, floor fountains and mist fountains.
Geumcheon-gu will open its free water play facilities in stages this summer, beginning with the Geumcheon Pongdang-Pongdang Children's Water Play Park on Monday and continuing with additional sites on July 16 and July 23, the district office said.
Reflecting an energy-saving drive amid high oil prices this year, the district has shortened the overall operating period compared to last year. To offset the reduction, it will concentrate operations during the summer school vacation period, when demand from children is highest.
The Geumcheon Pongdang-Pongdang Children's Water Play Park, located on the riverside flats beneath Geumcheon Bridge, will run from Monday through Aug. 16. Operating hours have been extended by one hour from last year, running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Spanning 3,303 square meters (about 999 pyeong), the park is a popular summer destination along the Anyang Stream. It is divided into a children's zone and a toddler zone, allowing safe use by both older children and infants.
Shade structures, rest areas and camping decks surround the play area, and a rest deck on the embankment slope can accommodate about 100 people, giving families a comfortable place to relax.
The district said it has replaced worn flooring and wall panels ahead of the opening and will maintain active safety management throughout the season. The facility will be closed every Monday and Friday for inspection and maintenance of filtration tanks and other equipment.
Water play facilities inside neighborhood parks will open July 16. Designed as urban retreats where children and families can beat the heat close to home, the parks each offer different types of water play installations.
Combination water play structures will be installed at Geumcheon Waterfall Park and at Cheoljjuk, Bujangcheon, Muarae and Doksan 2-dong neighborhood parks. Foot-wading play areas will be set up at Neutinamu, Haetae, Dongsan and Byeoljang-gil children's parks. Floor fountains will operate at Sangisseuk Park, Geumnarae Central Park, Geumcheon Green Square and Jindalrae and Eunhaeng children's parks. Somang Children's Park will feature a mist fountain, while Mokhwa Children's Park will have a wall-cascade water play facility.
Most park water facilities will operate weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., though hours may be adjusted to account for the needs of nearby residents and noise complaints. All facilities will be closed every Monday for maintenance. Operations will continue in rainy weather based on on-site conditions but will be suspended when a weather warning is issued.
The Geumnarae Mul-cheombeoung Shelter — a water play facility inside the Geumcheon-gu district office building — will open July 23 and run through Aug. 23, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Mondays closed.
The shelter operates every summer inside the district office building. The water reaches only ankle depth, making it a safe space for young children to splash around. It is open to infants, toddlers and elementary school students, and guardians may enter with them.
To ensure clean and safe conditions, most facilities will follow a cycle of 50 minutes of operation followed by a 10-minute break, the district said. Water quality management and facility inspections will also be strengthened through regular water changes, floor and reservoir cleaning, automatic ozone and chlorine disinfection, and continuous filtration, with water quality test results to be recorded and managed.
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