Proposed Manteca Water Park Questioned Days After Stiff Water Restrictions Put In Place
MANTECA (CBS13) — The city of Manteca wants to build a massive water park that would take hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to do it.
The Great Wolf Resort Indoor Water Park could be good for tourism, but many wonder if it's a good idea during the drought.
The park in Manteca would be from the company that already has several popular water parks around the country.
Manteca Mayor Steve Debrum says the park would attract more than 400,000 visitors a year and bring hundreds of jobs to the region.
The 75,000-square-foot indoor water park is planned for an empty lot and the city says it could generate more than $3 million in its first year.
But first, the park would need 300,000 gallons of water at a time when California is in the midst of one of its worst droughts in history.
Manteca resident Joel Ayala says he's already having to cut back at home with the city's 25 percent reduction mandate.
"Its probably not a good time to do that," he said. "We cut back on our watering, our showers; we are taking shorter showers."
Earlier this week, the city announced it will be making dramatic changes to its water usage after state numbers showed the city's water usage hadn't decreased, but instead increased by 25 percent. Charity car washes are gone, and all new lawns are required to be 75-percent lawn free.
Debrum says the park will recycle up to 98 percent of its water, but the initial 300,000 gallons would likely come from groundwater.
Susan Meloy questions the timing.
"I think it will be bad on us because we are going to pay for it," she said. "I don't think it should be something that should be done right now, not at all."
The city is still waiting on an environmental impact report about the project, but leaders could make a decision about whether to move forward with the project by early summer.