Rings Fountain Repair & Cleaning Project Update

Our maintenance team just began the fifth week of our two month project to repair and clean the most popular water feature on the greenway.  We’re making great progress and the Rings Fountain will be up and running just in time for summer!

Last week, we removed the remaining solenoid valves and hoses from the basin and finished cleaning.  Over the next few days, part of our team will be stripping the hardware off the remaining hoses and rebuilding the last thirty valves indoors.  Meanwhile, the rest of the team will begin the process of reinstalling  the remaining rebuilt valves and new hoses in the basin.  If all goes well by the end of the week, we will fill the basin with water, start the compressor, check for air leaks and make final adjustments.

The Underside of the Rings Fountain

If all adjustments are completed on Friday, we then begin the several week process of reinstalling the surface of the fountain.  First, we’ll reinstall the 120 concrete blocks that sit below the surface.  Then, we’ll start  the more complex process of reinstalling all 260 granite pavers that make up the surface that everyone walks on.  Each of the granite pavers is unique and fits into a specific space with no more than one-fourth of an inch gap between them.

The Rings Fountain is in good hands with the Conservancy’s maintenance team and we are looking forward to the laughter and delight that comes when we begin operating the fountains on Memorial Day weekend.