Although numerous amusement parks have operated for more than 100 years in different parts of the world, water parks age faster and require significantly more maintenance.

The strain of a constant flow of water on older infrastructure makes many water rides too expensive to maintain and renovate.

At the start of June 2026, CaliBunga Waterpark in San José closed down indefinitely amid a lack of clarity between the city and the 41-year-old park’s new owners over necessary renovations.

A month earlier, in May, the Wild Waves Theme and Water Park in Washington State also announced that it would close after nearly 50 years in business, citing rising operational costs.

Cultus Lake Waterpark still closed after electrical incident sent 12 to hospital

While the park is not closing down forever, Cultus Lake Waterpark in the Canadian province of British Columbia is currently also closed during the height of the summer season.

This follows an electrical incident on one of the rides, which led to the hospitalization of 10 children and two young adults, CBC News reported.

Subsequent information from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealed that the injuries occurred when visitors lining up for Zero to 60 Raceway touched the ride’s railing.

Related: Disney theme park closes dozens of rides for disturbing reason

Emergency crews were called to the park at 11:20 a.m. on June 15, and 12 of the youth were taken to the nearest hospital in conditions that were “reported to be stable with serious injuries.” Two of them had to be airlifted.

The water park immediately shut down for 48 hours after the incident as investigators were called in “to conduct a thorough and independent investigation” into what went wrong with the ride.

Nearly a month later, Cultus Lake Waterpark remains closed, with the latest announcement saying that a mid-July opening is the current target. Those who purchased tickets or season passes will be given refunds, the park confirms.

Cultus Lake Waterpark was opened in the British Columbian town of Chilliwack in 1984.

“Fully cooperating with the authorities”: Cultus Lake Waterpark

Cultus Lake Waterpark “We are fully cooperating with the authorities through the process of investigation and assessment,” Cultus Lake Waterpark said in a statement when the park first closed down.

“We are determined to ensure that something like this does not happen within our facility again.”

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More Travel News: The water park was built in 1984 near a popular natural lake in the British Columbian town of Chilliwack. Popular with families all over the province during the summer months, the amusement park’s infrastructure is aging in a way that would require millions in new funds to modernize.

Another water park operated by the same director, Splashdown Vernon, saw its season opening delayed last summer after safety inspectors flagged concerns with numerous rides, CTV News reported.

“At the Vernon waterpark, six of eleven slides were not permitted to open due to safety concerns,” Kate Parker, vice president of operations for Technical Safety British Columbia, said in a statement in 2025, according to CTV News.

“Many of these pre-season non-compliances were related to structure and maintenance checks, specifically around slide deterioration and safety protocols.”

Related: 36-year-old theme park closing down after summer season