Financial drains? Sprayparks are a great alternative to swimming pools. But they are not as simple and inexpensive as many operators think.(The Money Issue)

Ever since spraygrounds started thrilling kids of all ages with geysers and water cannons, budget-crunched aquatics managers have viewed them as inexpensive alternatives to renovating deteriorating pools of building new facilities. But as concrete is poured and pipes are laid, many of these same managers begin scratching their heads when the inevitable question comes: How could a little aquatics playground cost this much?

People such as Lawrence Brandstetter have seen that scenario play out all too often. "Spraygrounds take a lot more tender loving care than people might anticipate," says the president of Brandstetter Carroll, an aquatics design firm in ...