Hose pipes might be banned but that doesn’t mean children cannot enjoy a fun facility at Douglas’s biggest play park.

The used water at the ’splash zone’ in Noble’s Park is collected, filtered, treated then stored in a 12,000-litre capacity recycling tank then returned on demand to the equipment.

It means attraction can stay open while observing the current hose pipe ban and playing our part in supporting Manx Utilities’ measures to preserve the island’s water supplies.

’Noble’s Park splash zone’s recycling technology is a prime example of the council’s commitment to minimise its environmental impact and conserve water wherever possible,’ the council’s chairman of regeneration and community committee, Stephen Pitts, said.

’Environmental responsibility is a central pillar of the council’s corporate plan and also reflects our status as a Unesco Biosphere Isle of Man partner.

’With this in mind the splash zone was fitted with a water recycling system in May 2019 ahead of opening for the 2019 summer season.’

Councillor Pitts added that the council was always looking at ways to improve its energy performance.

In 2017, its parks service installed underground storage tanks at Ballaughton nursery to harvest rain water - around 80,000 litres collected from the buildings’ roofs - to water hanging baskets and other floral installations in Douglas town centre.

The rain water is also used to irrigate some of the nursery’s plant production.

Councillor Pitts added: ’During the long hot summer of 2018 when there was also a hosepipe ban, the nursery partnered with the National Sports Centre and Manx Utilities to salvage some 100,000 litres of brown water pumped out of the NSC’s pools ahead of refurbishment works.

’The naturally de-chlorinated water was stored in the underground and other surface-level tanks for watering plants and floral displays.

’It’s measures such as these that illustrate how the council is not only delivering on its green credentials but also investing in community quality of life.’