Latest news with #fountains
BBC News
13-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Will Yorkshire's fountains flow during a hosepipe ban?
A number of city centre fountains will run at a reduced rate after Yorkshire Water announced a hosepipe ban, which came into effect on Sheaf Square water feature in Sheffield and Bradford's Mirror Pool are among the landmarks Yorkshire Water guidelines, you cannot fill or maintain an ornamental fountain or water feature with a hosepipe while restrictions are in place, but "council-run park splash areas are exempt".Several councils confirmed they would not be refilling fountains, but would continue to operate water features that recycled water. Sheffield The Sheaf Street fountains in Sheffield were already out of action for maintenance, and the city council confirmed they would not reopen until after the ban had lifted.A spokesperson said this fountain lost the most water and so it would remain Pool fountains recycle nearly all the water used in the system and so they will remain in at the Peace Gardens, fountains and cascades have a mixed system and so while some water is lost most is council said: "The Peace Gardens fountains are used by children during the summer to play and are a much-loved feature of the city centre."The central fountain will be open during the school holidays and at weekends."The cascades will remain operational as normal as they recirculate all the water in the system." Bradford On Wednesday, Bradford Council announced changes to the operation of the Mirror Pool during the hosepipe ban.A spokesperson explained the holding tank in the plant room of the Mirror Pool held 500,000 litres of water."Last time we had a hosepipe ban, we managed to operate by using this recycled water in the holding tank," they said. "Unfortunately, the hosepipe ban is very early in the summer and because we want to keep our fountains running as long as possible, we are going to change our operational hours to allow people to still visit and play while saving water."The arching jets outside One City Park will not run between 11:00 and 19:30 BST, nor will any of the three pools be Bradford Blast in the centre of the Mirror Pool and the fountains around the edge will run at a reduced height and 19.30 until 03.00 BST, a night-time operation will continue with only the vertical jets on a low spokesperson said: "There is currently approximately 205,000 litres of rainwater in two storage tanks which is sufficient for 10 to 12 weeks of maintenance." Leeds Leeds has very few city centre fountains, after the council decided to close water features in Millennium Square, City Square and Eastgate roundabout in 2013.A spokesperson said: "The guidance we follow is that we cannot fill or maintain fountains and ornamental features with a hosepipe while the restrictions are in place." But they said as the few remaining fountains had built-in reservoirs, there was no need to turn them off. York City of York Council said it only managed one fountain in the city, which would continue to water feature on Exhibition Square recycles and recirculates the same water and does not draw on water supplies aside from times when it is drained for maintenance purposes. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hull fountains reopen after water safety fears
A water feature in Hull has reopened after a two-year closure – but could be "switched off" again during events, according to the city fountains in Queen Victoria Square have faced mechanical and water quality issues in recent years. Hull City Council said it was "confident" the fountains were "safe to operate" following repairs and "rigorous tests" on water Osgerby, an assistant director for infrastructure, said: "We are taking every precaution to ensure the fountains remain safe and clean. However, public safety remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to act swiftly if any issues arise." To help prevent future closures the council added: "Simple actions like disposing of rubbish properly and not feeding birds on or near the fountains can make a big difference." Planned closure "We all have a role to play in keeping our public spaces clean and safe," said Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council."By working together, we can ensure that this area remains a welcoming and enjoyable environment for all."The public has been told to expect further work when the fountain's compressor is replaced within the next work is due to be completed during the winter to reduce its impact, the council said. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
CBC
18-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Alberta Legislature fountains reopen to mixed reviews
After two years of renovations, the renewed Alberta Legislature grounds are open again to the public. CBC's Sam Brooks went to check out how some new fountains are making a splash with Edmontonians.
