Kent’s Town Square Plaza fountain to close intermittently this weekend

Published 10:53 am Friday, July 11, 2014

Cooling off the kids at Kent’s popular Town Square Plaza fountain is sure to be a popular activity this weekend during Cornucopia Days.

In order to best handle the strain all of that use puts on the fountain, city of Kent Parks Department staff will turn it off intermittently during the day to allow its filtration and treatment systems to reset.

“With high temperatures and big Cornucopia Days crowds expected, we anticipate the fountain will get a lot of use,” said Jeff Watling, director of Kent Parks, Recreation and Community Services, in a Thursday media release. “Unfortunately, it’s the combination of 90-degree temperatures and heavy use that overwhelms the fountain.”

Watling says the fountain recirculates water from a reservoir underneath and electronic sensors keep the water treated so it’s clean and safe.

“Suntan lotion, sweat, animal and picnic debris overwhelms these systems, forcing an automatic shut-down of the fountain. By taking this proactive approach, we give the system time to reset, thus keeping the fountain running more consistently through these very hot days. We appreciate the public’s patience,” Watling said.