Fountain Development and Maintenance

A fountain is an architectural feature which involves water and is often used as part of landscaping. A fountain can either pour water into a basin to create a ‘waterfall effect’ or spray water into the air to create a ‘jet effect’. 

Fountains are often used as decorative features in public spaces and gardens. Drinking fountains are used to provide drinking water public spaces, and special musical  fountains combine lights, music and moving water jets for purposes of entertainment. Splash fountains are often used in public spaces and intended for interaction. Modernfountains rely on a closed recirculating system to recycle water. An electric pump is used to provide the power to push water through the pipes. The pump is typically submerged in the water reservoir and consists of a spinning impellor to draw water in and force it out by centrifugal force. The most appropriate pumping rate will need to be found as the fountains can splash and waste water if it is set too high and will not circulate at all if it is set too low. 

Water is delivered to the fountain head and then sprayed into the air through a nozzle or left to flow outside the fountain. In both cases the water will fall back onto the fountain and drain back into the reservoir. Larger fountains will often be fitted with multiple nozzles and pumps. A filter known as a media filter, is used to remove particles from the water as it is circulated. It is fitted with its own pump and plumbing to take water from the pool to the filter and back to the pool. The water can be cleaned using treatments such as chlorination or anti-algal methods.