With the arrival of October, specialists from the Municipal Enterprise «Service Center» have begun preparations for the winter preservation of city fountains to restore their operation in the spring.
The process of fountain preservation is quite complex. To ensure that the fountains survive the winter safely, the specialists need to blow out the water supply systems, dismantle the nozzles, and remove electrical and pumping equipment. After dismantling, the equipment is inspected, and repairs are made if necessary.
This year, the first fountain to be turned off was located at the Train Station Square. The next in line for preservation are the fountains: «Wonders» on Kosivska Street and «Mermaid» in Victory Park.
Other fountains in city parks will cease operations by mid-October, while those adorning the central part of Odessa will be preserved last. Thus, the goal is to complete the preservation of all city fountains by the beginning of November.
Moreover, in recent years, the Municipal Enterprise «Service Center» has practiced fully sealing the basins of some fountains. This method is applied to fountains located in the City Garden, Shevchenko Park («Small Vase»), and the Cosmonauts Square. Since the beginning of the war, four fountains located in the UNESCO zone were completely preserved and did not operate this year: the Memorial Fountain for the victims of German-Romanian fascists, the fountain «Petya and Gavrik», the fountain «Children and the Froglet», and the well-fountain «Source».
The reverse process of unsealing the fountains will begin in early spring. The first fountains are typically activated in the city center by April 1, with the rest starting in April.
Additional Information
The Municipal Enterprise «Service Center» manages 27 city fountains. In 2024, 17 fountains were unsealed. All of them are located outdoors, so the main factors determining their operational period are weather conditions and temperature.
15 employees of the Municipal Enterprise «Service Center» ensure the proper functioning of these fountains.
Throughout the spring-summer-autumn period, specialists carry out routine maintenance of the fountains: cleaning the basins, collecting debris from the water, cleaning external filters and nozzles, rinsing the sand filter, and adding water to the required level.
In addition to scheduled works, the fountains occasionally suffer from acts of vandalism, which require unscheduled repairs.
The fountain on Krymsky Boulevard has always experienced the highest number of vandalism acts, where many teenagers, despite numerous warnings and prohibitory signs, have been seen climbing into the fountain, unscrewing nozzles, tearing off granite covers, and damaging the piping of the upper basin.
All restoration and repair works are handled by the specialists of the Municipal Enterprise «Service Center», who continue to perform their duties despite the challenges of wartime.
