FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. — The sounds of splish-splashing will be silenced this summer at Water World in Federal Heights. The water park will remain closed for the upcoming 2020 summer season.
Water World made the announcement in a Tuesday news release, stating the closure is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's the first time in the park's 40-year history that it closed for a season.
“We are deeply disappointed to have to make this decision,” said park spokesperson, Joann Cortéz, “Water World is a summer institution in Colorado, and for many individuals and families, it’s just not summer without Water World.”
The decision to remain closed for the 2020 season comes after staff sought guidance from waterpark industry experts, local authorities, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the local health department.
The 70-acre water park attracts up to 500,000 visitors each year during their 90-day season. While there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread through the use of pool water, guidance indicates that a water park the size and scope of Water World would not be permitted to open within the park’s short summer operating season, the release read.
Water World did create a guide for opening, but the unknown still exists in terms of official restrictions. Specifically, when and if large numbers of people might be permitted to gather this summer, the park said.
