Pittsburgh neighborhoods that no longer have pools might soon get "splash zones" under an emerging plan billed as a way to provide wet fun for fewer dollars.

Parks Director Duane Ashley went before City Council today asking for $250,000 to start work on what he hopes will be two watery playgrounds in operation some time this summer. Council gave tentative approval, and if a final vote Tuesday goes the same way, he'll seek bids to install fountains, spray arches, play sculptures, water cannons and other features in Troy Hill and Beechview.

Splash zones are "the wave, because cities just cannot afford to maintain the traditional swimming pool," he said. "The kids will love them."

The city expects to open 19 pools this summer, down from 31 before the 2003 budget crunch. "To think that we're going to have this wholesale approach to opening up 31 pools again, that's just not going to happen," he said.

Meanwhile the closed pools sit, providing targets for vandals and breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Converting an old pool or an unused part of a park into a splash zone with 10 or more water features and a rubber surface might cost $200,000, he said. He'll try to raise sponsorship dollars to help cover the cost of two.

After that initial investment, they're cheap to run, he said. The features are push-button activated and on timers, so water runs only when there are users. One staff member -- or even none -- is enough to supervise them.

They also can operate in the late spring and early fall, before and after the pool season. They cater to kids ages two to 12, and would be open to the public, with no pool pass required.

The closed Troy Hill pool is an ideal site, he said, because it has changing facilities. Beechview lost its pool to budget cuts, and has a lot of kids, he said. If they're a success, the city might look at more sites in future summers.