Fort Wayne parks leave water off despite warm days

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Those enjoying this week’s record-breaking warmth are doing so without any water fountains or restrooms at Fort Wayne’s city parks.

That’s because the parks department is going to wait until the middle of April until turning on the water. Perry Ehresman of the parks department tells The Journal Gazette that despite this month’s warmth, there could still be freezing weather this spring.

He says crews turn off the water and use an air compressor to clear the pipes to keep them from freezing and breaking during the winter. He says a freezing snap could cause a great deal of damage.

Tuesday’s high of 84 degrees in Fort Wayne shattered the previous record by 8 degrees and marked the seventh straight day of record-topping temperatures in the city.