Athens Parks and Recreation informed residents on Thursday morning that they have closed the “All Kids Dugout” playground at the Sportsplex indefinitely after a water line burst overnight. 

“For safety reasons, we ask the public to stay out of the area,” Athens Parks and Recreation Director Bert Bradford stated in a release to the public. 

The water line burst caused flooding within the play area, resulting in damage to some of the playground equipment.

Bradford noted that some of the equipment at the All Kids Dugout will have to be repaired — and some likely will have to be replaced due to the severity of the damage.

Because of the water line burst, water was turned off in the area north of the Sportsplex and at the Athens Recreation Center — so it was closed to the public for several hours on March 27.

Water Services Manager Jimmy Junkin said crews worked on the water line, completing repairs to the line so the facility could open Thursday afternoon. 

All Kids Dugout remains closed indefinitely.