Big day coming up in Petworth: The spray park at the Petworth Rec Center is about to open.

Howard Marshall, director of the facility, tells me that the fountains are being worked on and will be turned on for the season next Monday, June 15. And the spray park will be open Monday to Saturday through the rest of the summer.

The assortment of colorful nozzles opened in Petworth two years ago.

Other cities I’ve been to in the last year don’t have the need to build spray parks like D.C. did. In Charleston, S.C., and, particularly, Boston, it seemed like pretty much all open fountains became de facto spray parks in the warmer months. Folks just walked into spray whenever the spirit moved them.

And this lifted up the mood of the whole neighborhood.

Because not only is it impossible to be grumpy while you’re getting sprayed with cold water, it’s impossible to be grumpy while watching folks get sprayed. Fountains become joy factories.

Couldn’t D.C. use some joy?

Again, Monday’s a big day in Petworth.