The opening of Splash Valley, the $12 million water amusement park planned for East Ridge, has been pushed back from early to late summer, according to East Ridge Mayor Mike Steele.

Meeting federal, state and local agency requirements took more time than anticipated, he said.

When asked if the developers now had all necessary paperwork, East Ridge Building Inspector Mark Dempsey said, “Yes, they are waiting on their contractor to finish a project in Florida. They will come as soon as possible.”

Work on a water park in South Florida should be complete in about three weeks and construction at the local site on Ringgold Road can then begin, the mayor said.

“This is different from anything we’ve ever had to deal with in East RIdge,” he said. “The good news is that the project is moving forward and we can see a water park in our future.”