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After brief show on Monday, Tivoli fountain to stay dry for 2016

Staff report
Leanne Laux-Bachard (left) and April MacKay, both of Seattle, take a break from the heat by dipping their hands and feet into Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol campus in this undated file photo.
Leanne Laux-Bachard (left) and April MacKay, both of Seattle, take a break from the heat by dipping their hands and feet into Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol campus in this undated file photo. Tony Overman The Olympian

The capitol’s Tivoli Fountain will be filled on Friday (May 13) and running Monday (May 16), but soon after, the popular Capitol Campus water feature will be drained and shut down for the rest of 2016.

A fountain repair consultant will be visiting the fountain on Monday. The consultant — Waterline Studios of Dripping Springs, Texas — will inspect the fountain and its operating system to assess its condition, identify ways to operate it more efficiently with less water loss, and come up with a strategy for preserving the historic icon.

The state Department of Enterprise Services will fill all three fountain basins on Friday, then measure water loss over a 72-hour period.

The consultant will be present when the fountain’s water jets and central spout are tested from about 9 a.m. to noon Monday. Then the fountain will be drained to allow for a dry inspection.

While the state has made many minor repairs to the fountain since its dedication in 1953, most of the major components, including the piping, have never been replaced.

The campus fountain is a replica of a famous Roman-style fountain in Tivoli Park in Copenhagen, Denmark, which in turn replicates elements of a famous fountain in Tivoli, Italy. The fountain was donated to the state by the Olympia-Tumwater Foundation.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "After brief show on Monday, Tivoli fountain to stay dry for 2016."

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