How Much Does a Water Park Cost to Engineer?

Structural: towers and vessels

Slide towers (the 60-100 foot structures — the dynamic loads of the riders, the wind on the exposed towers, the foundations in often-poor soils), the pools and vessels (the concrete or stainless structures — the water loads, the waterproofing, the chemical exposure), and the lazy rivers and wave pools (the hydraulic structures — the wave generation equipment's dynamic loads). The corrosion environment (the chlorinated humidity — the material selection and the protective coatings).

Aquatic systems

Recirculation (the millions of gallons — the turnover rates per the health code: typically 2-6 hours; the filtration, the chemical treatment — the water-quality engineering), the slide hydraulics (the flow rates delivering the riders — the pump systems; the runout pools' hydraulics), and the water conservation (the backwash recovery, the splash-out makeup — the water balance in the arid climates). The health department's jurisdiction (the pool code — the design satisfying the environmental health review).

MEP, safety, and operations

HVAC for indoor parks (the natatorium dehumidification — the massive latent loads; the air quality — the chloramine control), the lifeguard sightlines (the attraction layout — the safety consultant's review), and the seasonal operations (the winterization — the freeze protection for the outdoor parks; the phased opening). The geotechnical (the poor soils common at the flat, cheap sites — the ground improvement). Plan 18-36 months for design and construction.

The bottom line

Budget $500,000-$2.5M+ for water park engineering — slide-tower structures, the recirculation/chemical water systems, and indoor natatorium dehumidification.

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