Schiller Park paddling pool out of service during much of heatwave

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – With the high temperatures Western New York has experienced this week, one Buffalo community has had fewer options for cooling off.

Indeed, a water playground in the city was destroyed during much of the heatwave, prompting residents to call for action.

The splash pad at Schiller Park had been broken this week, but it finally arrived Thursday morning.

Jameel Williams contacted News 4 very upset that the splash pad at Schiller Park was not operational in recent days during the height of the heatwave. He says that normally dozens of children use this wading pool, as it is the only option for many children to cool off in this area.
Before the heatwave, the mayor’s office had announced extended opening hours for the city’s ten paddling pools and two indoor swimming pools.

But the water dried up here, at the Schiller Park splash pad, all because of a mechanical problem, according to a city spokesperson.

“The last few days have been really, really tough because the kids are coming out of school and there’s no water to cool off and the park is really dirty and I cleaned it myself last night so the kids wouldn’t cut themselves on the glass,” Williams said.

Finally, late Thursday morning, the paddling pool returned and the children were finally able to enjoy it. Children had more time outside of school this week, with Buffalo schools going half days due to the heat and the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday.

“It’s very important, this park is sort of central to this whole neighborhood. A lot of streets are open here, so a lot of kids take advantage of it. There are no other public swimming pools or anything else in the immediate area, so the water play area is very important for children,” said one resident.

The city’s five outdoor pools are expected to open July 1 with enough lifeguards to monitor the pools.