Children in the Andalusia area could be playing in a splash pad before the end of summer, if the council acts quickly on a proposal to build one.

Andy Wiggins, director of planning and development, presented a proposed plan for a splash pad to council members during a workshop meeting Tuesday night.

The proposed pad is a 50-foot diameter circle that has 24 splash jets and a mushroom-shaped apparatus in the center, he said.

“This is a pretty good size pad for a community our size,” he said, adding that it is relatively inexpensive to install.

Because installing a splash pad that recirculates water means the water must be treated, Wiggins said he is recommending a simpler operation in which the water will go into the city’s storm drainage system.

“Imagine what ends up in the water when there are toddlers from 6 months to several years old playing there,” Wiggins said. “It creates a problem to keep it treated, so we are going with a continual flow of new water.”

The proposed system would be motion activated, so that water is not being used when no one is there.

Wiggins said no site has been determined, but city officials have considered locating a pad adjacent to the Cooper Pool; in Robinson Park; or in Johnson Park.

Mayor Earl Johnson said a splash park could remain open longer than the city’s pools.

“I think it could be open as long as April through the beginning of October,” he said.

Council members received preliminary drawings and estimates Tuesday, and may be asked to vote on building a pad as soon as their next meeting, set for Tues., July 21.