I would advise any garden or landscape designer to consider including the extraordinary magical focus of water in his or her scheme. However, many fountains and water features are not successful either in the short or long term. It is hoped that in this chapter the main reasons for this will become evident, allowing for a check-list to be drawn up before the creation of a fountain, or in the reinstatement of one that has fallen into disrepair.

Firstly, a fountain is, like a luxury lawn, a beautiful home or an expensive car, an object that will require maintenance, protection and upkeep throughout its working life. The further from nature it is, the more work will be required to maintain it in peak condition. This is especially so when artifice is used to make it look as if it were a gift from God, as any flaw, no matter how minor, destroys the illusion.

1. WATER SUPPLY

   Unless a natural supply is to be utilised, as in the Greek and Roman examples cited in earlier chapters, an artificial supply must be provided. However, fountains attract pollutants, such as traffic fumes and tobacco smoke from the air, and recirculating water can quickly become impure. Add to this the effects of evaporation exacerbated by the aeration of the water, and the water in a closed supply system can very quickly become a concentrated, foul, ill smelling, poisonous, corrosive, visually unattractive soup as well as this the water level will drop, removing any illusion of abundance that the fountain is there to provide and selected plant and animal life will suffer. Add again the detritus left by passing human, zoological and biological organisms, and problems become evident.

   The remedy to all these ills is an adequate water supply, drainage facility and a filtration system(which is discussed later). The supply will ideally have an automatic stop cock, like the system in a WC. This will close off the water supply when the required level is achieved.

2. QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION

   The creation of a fountain is a specialist job and only those experienced in the task are fully aware of the perfidious nature of water and its ability to escape or leak from the fountains system. When leaks do arise difficulties in detecting where they have arisen can be, and often are, legion. Water can travel some distance from the leak before becoming evident, and because of capillary action can actually appear above the leak or leaks. It is not unknown for a fountain to be completely dismantled in an attempt to find a leak, creating an expense greater than the building of the fountain itself.

   The pressures of the weight of the water and the fountain may cause movement underneath the fountain, or indeed the alteration to the water table underneath the fountain can cause water or gas bubbles to erupt in the most improbable places. The fabric of the fountain may be attacked by wildlife or environmental factors during construction, leading to problems which only become evident in the fullness of time. Occasionally further works are considered in the basin of a water feature and when this happens the additional materials can and may cause damage. This is particularly difficult to detect and can create costs greater that the original cost of the feature.

   The avoidance of these problems can only be achieved by experience, first class specifications and with the work guaranteed by the builder.

3. VANDALISM.

   Whenever the public has access to water features they are particularly prone to damage either intentional or otherwise. On one end of the scale is the prank, for example, washing up liquid was recently poured into a fountain in Guildford. The bubbles not only looked unattractive, but also extended beyond the fountain pond and caused temporary closure of the Portsmouth Road. On the other end of the scale is the malicious smashing of the statuary at the York House Fountain at Twickenham prior to its recent restoration.

   Vulnerability to vandalism must be gauged and considered at the design stage. The amount of security readily present or how much required must be considered. Fortunately most fountains are placed for maximum visual effect which renders secret vandalism difficult. However, if public access is available for 24 hours a day (unlike say a shopping mall) consideration must be given to late night revellers.

   Where liners are employed they must be adequately protected and hidden. A vandal with a Stanley knife can render thousands of pounds of damage to a pool in seconds if the protection is inadequate. Animals entering the water can also damage inadequately protected liners.

   Most dangers can be minimised by the design. The fountain at Canary Wharf has no unhidden parts which could be damaged ( except with a sledge hammer), and is also is protected from attack by constant vigilance when public access is possible.

   At the Tortion fountain by Naum Gabo at St Thomas's hospital there is a large pool of water surrounding the fountain offering only the determined an opportunity to physically attack the installation.

4. NOISE.

   The sound effects of water falling may not always be welcome. Whilst the writer was working for a firm who constructed fountains and water features he heard of an exotic, cascading water feature which was installed at a cost of £50, 000. 00. The neighbours, who could not see the feature, objected to the sound it made and were able, with legal backing, to effectively disable the feature. Another example is a new office building in the city which has a magnificent internal waterfall offering visual delight to office workers of six stories. Unfortunately in the foyer and where the reception is located the noise of the waterfall made it impossible to conduct telephone conversations: consequently the design of the waterfall had to be modified significantly.

   When sound is a problem it is very expensive and difficult to reduce, therefore consideration should be given at the outset. However, in most settings sound is not a problem.

5. WATER ESCAPE.

   Water or spray can escape the basin designed for collecting it. This usually occurs in windy or urban settings and can arise unpredictably in cities where high rise building is undertaken, as any change to the nearby architecture can alter the wind flow and create high wind speeds and eddies. The consequences will become evident both immediately and over time.

   Passers by may not be pleased to become wetted by the spray and may react suddenly. In addition the material on which they are walking or standing is similarly wetted. This may result in it becoming slippery, encouraging falls and accidents. Expensive lawsuits may follow. The wetting of surrounding materials may not only become visually unattractive but also be damaged by it. Pools of water may form and damage may be caused to services beneath the wearing course. Electrical and Service ducting is particularly prone to these problems. Another cause of damage may result from growth of algae and other plant life. This makes the wearing course slippery and prone to decay. Any leaks from the basin may be difficult to detect.

   The remedy in design to these problems may be by increasing the planned size of the water receptacle (in windy situations the radius of the receptacle should be up to twice the height of water play) or a wind detector may be utilised which will reduce or stop play when adverse conditions are detected.

6. VISUAL IMPACT.

   Drivers of motor vehicles or pedestrians may have there line of sight impaired or their eye be distracted by the magnificence or surprise of a water feature. In certain instances this may bring a dangerous result. Clearly due consideration must be given to the suitability of the site for a major fountain.

7. MAINTAINANCE.

   In drawing up a maintenance schedule and budget for a fountain or water feature, water type, location and construction will all play a part.

   Where wind borne materials such as leaves or street rubbish are present these should be removed at frequent intervals with a net. This will help to minimise blockage to the filtration system, if there is one. The filtration unit should be easily accessible and should be maintained at or above the manufactureres specifications. When relevant water samples should be analysed to ensure that the required purity is maintained. These requirements are mainly similar to a modern outdoor swimming pool.

   In instances where clear water is to be maintained it may be considered advantageous to empty the pool and scrub it down on a regular basis, as is done at the Trevi fountain in Rome. There, early on a Wednesday morning, the basin is emptied and scrubbed. Whether this is done principally to collect the thousands of lira and other currency that is thrown into the basin, or for the good of the basin is unclear. However a scrubbing regime may be considered when salts and limestone deposits form and where algae grows in uncirculated and untreated fresh water.

   The pump will need constant maintenance according to manufactures requirements and if the fountain is susceptible to frost damage the system may be drained down during the winter months. The fountain's demand for water should be monitored in order to give an early indication of leaks, and the fabric of the fountain repaired immediately should any damage be evident.

   Recent studies in the United States have indicated that when property is seen to be damaged and not repaired this acts as a catalyst to vandals to do further damage. If a window on a property is broken and not repaired this encourages the breaking of further windows. Thus with fountains; any sign of neglect excaserbates the problem.

   All of the above factors, when ill judged, can cause the rapid de commissioning of fountains.

   London has many examples of dry fountains, where the unhappy instigator of what was intended to be a joy, is out of pocket both for the initial creating of the water feature, for any law suits that it may have spawned, and for the ultimate removal of an eyesore.

   Woe betide the unwary!

(It is at this stage that the writer suggests that the reader returns to the opening chapter of this dissertation and reviews the many factors that more than justify the potential difficulties in creating and maintaining that most glorious and wonderful device The Fountain.)