JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Retention ponds might look inviting, but members of the Jacksonville City Council say they’re very dangerous.
Now, some council members want to make them off-limits to the public following last month’s drowning of 5-year-old Mohamad Nour, whose body was pulled from a retention pond after he wandered away from his Southside home.
Several council members have underscored the dangers of these ponds over the past several years, but now they want to put action behind those words. And this time, Duval County Public Schools and the fire department are involved.
During a special meeting Monday, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene was asked by council members what could be done in schools to educate children about the risks posed by retention ponds.
“I think our schools can share the message, making sure our families are aware of the danger of retention ponds and remind them of the wonderful swimming pools that are either at our schools or in the community,” Greene said.
With over 235 public retention ponds in Jacksonville and hundreds of others on private property, it’s difficult to keep people out. Regulations on these ponds vary, with some requiring fencing while other retention ponds do not.
Councilwoman LeAnna Cumber said the rules need to change. But first, she said, the public needs to be informed.
“My hope is the more information we get to people that they will start realizing what they are really there for,” Cumber said, noting that public education could help prevent people from playing around or fishing in these retention ponds.
The tentative plan is to post signs warning of the dangers of these ponds, including that they tend to attract alligators.
The City Council wants to get community associations, developers and property management companies to provide residents with more information about the dangers of these ponds.
The goal would be to notify residents that while the ponds might look nice on the surface, the water is unclean and the bottoms of these ponds are often mucky, which makes it easier for people to get stuck and potentially drown.
Council members are reviewing the laws on the books and hope to propose new changes in upcoming meetings.