FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A massive slip-n-slide event has announced its plans to come to Downtown Fresno but some already have concerns over whether now is the right time. Drought conditions could prevent the event from even happening.
"Slide the City" is looking to come to Downtown Fresno and bring its massive water slide for several days of splashing fun.
City of Fresno spokesperson Mark Standriff said, "They've approached us about putting a 1,000-foot water slide here in the city of Fresno which they've done for other communities."
Standriff says the event would shut down city streets for several days and use roughly 16,000 gallons of water per day, which is not something officials are thrilled about being that the Central Valley is experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history.
Standriff said, "I think when people are looking at this kind of a thing and they see it happening across the country they think, 'Wow this would be fun! It's a giant slip-n-slide!' But from our standpoint we've got to be good stewards of the resources we have."
Whether Fresno even has the right geography for the event is another issue. Downtown Fresno is mostly flat.
While the city weighs whether or not "Slide the City" fits in with the city's water policies, officials are still waiting to see what the state thinks. The event must gain approval from the state to prove it's not a three-day water wasting event.
Just two years ago the city hosted a beach party in downtown, complete with a sand-filled area, several pools and a huge water slide. It's unclear how much water that event used.
Standriff said, "We know every drop is precious and before we even begin to think about events like this, first of all, they've got some big hoops to jump through with the state."
The Salt Lake City-based company boasts water conservation on its website, saying the event recycles water, but that wasn't enough to keep its plans afloat in Los Angeles. Thousands of people there signed a petition opposing the event and eventually city leaders there denied the company's permit.