facebook-pixel

Splash pad at Salt Lake City’s Gateway temporarily closed by health department

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Shoppers pass by the fountain a The Gateway in Salt Lake City.

UPDATE • The Gateway water feature was deemed safe by the Salt Lake County Health Department on May 7, 2019 and was allowed to open to the public.

May 5, 2019 • The snowflake-shaped water fountain at The Gateway was temporarily closed by the Salt Lake County Health Department on Monday after inspectors found improper chlorine levels.

According to a notice posted on the department website, Vestar — the company that owns the downtown development — was cited for operating "a pool in a way that causes or creates a threat to the public health, safety, or the environment.”

The company had recently done repairs on the splash pad’s injector system and that may have been the problem, according to a health department spokeswoman. The water feature will remain closed until the necessary repairs can be made and the chlorine level is safe for the public.

Formerly called the Olympic Fountain — in honor of Utah’s hosting of the 2002 Winter Games — the splash pad attracts hundreds of young children and their parents each summer who beat the heat by darting in and out of the water jets.

Help The Tribune report the stories others can’t—or won’t.

For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism.  As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.

You can help power this work.