COLD LAKE –Anyone who has spent a summer afternoon at Kinosoo Beach knows the routine: towels, sunscreen, snacks and somehow enough sand in the vehicle to build a second beach at home.

Cold Lake City Council is looking at a possible solution.

Council voted Sept. 8 to send a proposed foot wash station at Kinosoo Beach to its 2027 capital budget deliberations. The project is currently estimated at about $23,000, with administration recommending council set aside up to $30,000 if it decides to move ahead.

The idea came from Mayor Bob Mattice, who previously asked administration to look into a foot wash after experiencing Kinosoo Beach with his two-year-old grandchild.

Mattice recalled carrying a “2-year-old screaming and kicking from the beach that was covered in sand,” prompting him to wonder whether the City could give beachgoers a better place to rinse off before heading home.

Administration returned to council this month with actual pricing and three options: put the project into the 2027 budget, fund it immediately through contingency or leave Kinosoo Beach as is.

Council chose the budget route.

The foot wash itself is about $8,400

The proposed unit isn’t a basic outdoor tap and hose.

Administration obtained a quote for a Most Dependable Fountains Model 523 triple foot spray, constructed from marine-grade 316 stainless steel specifically for beach and waterfront environments.

The blue, three-station unit is priced at $8,413.19, including freight and tax, with an estimated delivery time of four to six weeks.

Getting water to it and installing it accounts for much of the project’s cost.

A local contractor quoted $14,692.76 before tax for the installation work, including excavation, piping and backfill, insulation of new water lines, installation of a five-foot-by-five-foot concrete pad and installation of the foot wash itself.

“The bulk of the cost is going to be the installation of the necessary water line,” CAO Kevin Nagoya told council.

The estimate assumes the station would be located within approximately 10 feet of the existing beach fountain and that the fountain’s current water service has enough capacity for the additional fixture.

Altogether, administration puts the estimated project cost at approximately $23,000 before contingency.

The recommended $30,000 capital budget would leave room for potential increases in tariffs, material and freight costs, exchange rates and other pricing changes before the City places an order.

Why not just rinse off at the splash park?

That question came up too.

Coun. Ryan Bailey asked about beachgoers already using the nearby splash park to rinse sand off and whether that could eventually cause issues with its drainage system.

Administration said the system has P-traps that could potentially require cleaning if sand builds up, although there hasn’t been a significant issue to date.

For Mattice, the splash park works in a pinch, but it isn’t quite the same thing as having a spot designed specifically for sandy beachgoers.

“Going to the splash park while it works to rinse is not always the solution,” Mattice said. “A foot wash would be a lot better in my opinion as a grandparent.”

Coun. Dawn Weber also asked whether foot wash stations are common at other beaches. Mattice pointed to Sylvan Lake as one place he believed has a similar setup.

Council ultimately agreed to consider the proposal alongside the City’s other capital priorities for next year, rather than spending the money immediately.

That means the foot wash has not been approved for construction.

For now, it has a price tag, a proposed location and a spot in the City’s upcoming budget discussions.

And if it does make the final cut, Kinosoo Beach visitors may eventually be able to leave a little more of the beach where it belongs.