Geysers and buzzers signal summer in The Grove

A new exciting water feature and an almost inaudible “mosquito” are causing quite a buzz around the Grove these days.

Last summer, the children’s water feature in the Grove was literally a dry hole, no matter how hot it got. Rationing during the drought left no water for fun things like the water feature, the dog watering spigot and the city’s fountain.

But with the relaxed restrictions recently announced by Contra Costa Water District and new, more efficient equipment, the mini-geysers are spouting higher than ever. The new feature is both more fun and more efficient, says city manager Gary Napper.

The new splasher replaces the feature installed when the park was built more than 10 years ago. To meet current health regulations, the old feature would have required treatment equipment that “would have been larger than the picnic shade structure,” Napper says.

Cost of the upgraded splash features, a programmable controller and new resilient pad was about $55,000. The water feature runs every day 8 a.m.-9 p.m. except on concert days, when the water is shut off at 5 p.m.

Across the lawn, a high-frequency transmitter emits a buzzing sound audible mainly to teens. The kids find the sound unpleasant enough to move away from the gazebo, resulting in a corresponding reduction in vandalism. Until the buzzer was installed, the city was spending thousands on replacing the railings and slats in the gazebo that were knocked out and broken by vandals.

The transmitters cost about $1,100 each and are installed at both the Grove and the Lydia Lane Park, where graffiti had been a constant headache for city maintenance workers. The transmitters send out a high-pitched sound at 17 kHz, and 94 to 104 dB for a distance of about 50 feet, says Napper. A car horn is about 110dB.

Not everyone is pleased with the buzzers. At the May 9 City Council meeting, Clayton resident Cindy Gilmore said the buzzers, which were on for 24 hours a day at that time, gave her a headache.

The teens are not so bothered, says Napper. They either get used to the sound or move away.

After the Art and Wine Festival in April, the city changed the operational hours to 9 p.m.-6 a.m., when the park is closed. Since the buzzers were installed, vandalism is almost non-existent, says city maintenance supervisor Mark Janney.