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Alex Cabrero ReportingThere's no doubt the southwest part of Salt Lake County is growing and growing fast, but with that, there's something one of the growing cities wants its new residents to know.
Ask Mandi Christensen where she feels the safest, and she'll pick a Riverton park every single time. "I've been coming here since I was a kid, and I love the full-grown trees," she said.
So when her daughter Hayley wanted to go there today for her 11th birthday, she couldn't stop smiling. Soon this park will be even safer because of a warning sign Riverton City is putting up.
All of Riverton's city parks use secondary water --irrigation water-- to keep grass green. Lately, though, with Riverton's growth, some have seen newcomers actually drink water out of sprinklers, which could make you sick.
Riverton City Manager Lance Blackwood said, "That's what started it, is a council member reported that she had been to a park, and watched the kids running through the sprinklers and then after that had finished, were thirsty and just put their mouth on the sprinkler."
Some cities don't use irrigation water to water parks, so newcomers to Riverton might not realize it.
Riverton resident Brooke Waldron said, "I could see where they wouldn't even think of it."
Blackwood says, "Not everybody understands that they're not supposed to drink this water."
That's exactly why Riverton is about to put up warning signs, just so people know the only place to drink safe water in the parks is at the water fountain.
Christensen says, "That's wonderful. They need that in every park that uses that type of water."
Riverton hopes to have its signs in place within the next couple of weeks. Check with your city to see what type of water they use for park irrigation.
