Running water

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
SEVILLE’s Water Play Park remains closed after the council was notified of vomiting and diarrhoea in children who had visited the park over the holidays.
The Yarra Ranges Council was first notified on 5 January, and at least six parents of children who were affected voiced their concerns on the Seville Water Play Park Facebook page.
Several women wrote that their children were vomiting after visiting the park, but it wasn’t until after others had posted about their sick kids they realised the connection.
The Water Play Park was closed as a precautionary measure on 16 January following discussions between the council and the Department of Health on revising cleaning and maintenance procedures to ensure health standards were met.
Yarra Ranges Council health director Andrew Paxton said the water samples had been taken for testing and the council put in place a heightened maintenance regime.
“This included super-chlorinating the water and closing the natural garden while the samples were tested,” he said.
He said further water samples were being tested to see if the concern remained at the park.
“Once these results are finalised, council will then be able to confirm whether or not the water contains heightened levels of bacteria such as ecoli and coliform,” he said.