New London ― The annual battle of Bates Woods Park was re-fought on Sunday and, like in previous years’ skirmishes, the only casualties were dry clothes.

More than 100 youngsters, teens and adults dodged streams of water gun expulsions and spinning water balloons during the New London Water Wars event, a soaking spectacle that has evolved from its roots as an impromptu neighborhood water fight into a community gathering complete with sponsors, food and pumping music.

Organizers Frank Colmenares and state Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London, said the event began in 2009 when a large group of friends formed “water gangs,” and laid in wait for opponents, water guns at the ready, to emerge from homes, churches and workplaces.

“It was chaos,” Colmenares said. “The only rule was, if you were in the game, you stayed in the game. “Then the next day you had 30 people on each of the teams running wild in the streets and there were some arrests.”

Nolan, then a New London school resource officer, said he recalled the department’s response.

“I knew we needed to figure out how to spin this into a positive,” he said. “No one should be arrested for playing with water guns.”

The next year, new rules were in place that kept the water fight in designated areas, with locations shifted from one street or another over the course of several days. Deliveries of water guns, mainly paid out of Nolan and Colmenares’ pockets, were made.

After a few years, a decision was made to make the fights a once-a-year festival at Bates Woods. Sponsors, including the Ledge Light Health District and Sound Community Services, soon came on board.

“We were able to come up with a simple sustainable solution to a problem thanks to a conversation,” Colmenares said. “It’s not rocket science to do something like that.”

On Sunday, boxes of water guns and buckets of multi-colored water balloons waited to be grabbed by a group of eager kids and several game parents. As a DJ launched into his first set, rivulets of water crisscrossed the park as participants aimed from the hip and from atop the perches of a playscape.

Within seconds, Nolan had tumbled into one of the wading pools that served as re-loading stations.

Under a shaded pavilion where a tres leches cake sat ready to be cut, Waterford resident Ontavia Dull watched her 4-year-old son, Zion, prepare for his first watery foray.

“Events like these are extremely important – to the parents as well as the kids,” she said. “It’s a chance for us to catch up, to talk about the start of school, about car-pooling and upcoming sports events. And that kind of reconnection helps us keep our kids from making bad choices and hold each other accountable.”

New London restaurateur David Santiago was one a few attendees who brought their personal water-shooting armaments to the event.

“This is awesome, and I think it could get even bigger,” he said, taking a break from dousing his kids and nephews. “It’s a free-for-all.”

Veteran attendees, even those not specifically joining in the melee, knew what to expect from the afternoon fracas. Walter Lewis, a program coordinator for Sound Community Services mental health and substance abuse support group, called the day a “great way to support the community.”

“I know I won’t stay dry,” he said at a folding table a few feet away from the action. “I knew that walking in.”

j.penney@theday.com