Since early October, specialists from the «Service Center» municipal enterprise have begun the winterization of city fountains.
The winterization of fountains is an essential procedure. To ensure that the fountains survive the winter, the team must purge the water supply systems, dismantle nozzles, and remove electrical and pump equipment. After dismantling, the fountain equipment is inspected and repaired as necessary.
Typically, the process starts with fountains located in residential areas, followed by those in parks and squares. Fountains in the city center are winterized last.
In recent years, the «Service Center» has implemented a practice of fully sealing the basins of certain fountains. This method is applied to fountains in the City Garden, Shevchenko Park («Small Vase»), and the Cosmonauts Square. Since the start of the war, four fountains in the UNESCO zone have been completely winterized this year: the Memorial Fountain for the victims of German-Romanian fascists, the «Petya and Gavrik» fountain, the «Children and Tadpole» fountain, and the «Spring» well-fountain.
The reverse process, the spring opening of fountains, will begin in early spring. Typically, the first fountains in the city center are turned on by April 1, with the rest following in April.
Note
The «Service Center» manages 27 city fountains. In 2024, 17 fountains were reopened. All of them are located outdoors, making weather conditions the main factor in determining their operational period. 15 employees of the «Service Center» ensure the normal functioning of these fountains.
Throughout the spring, summer, and autumn, specialists perform ongoing maintenance of the fountains: cleaning the bowls, collecting debris, cleaning external filters and nozzles, flushing sand filters, and adding water to the appropriate level.
In addition to scheduled maintenance, Odessa's fountains occasionally suffer from vandalism, requiring unscheduled repairs.
The fountain on Krymsky Boulevard experiences the highest number of vandalism incidents. Many teenagers, despite numerous warnings and prohibitive signs, continue to damage it by removing nozzles and vandalizing the granite surface.
All restoration work on the fountains and addressing various damages is the responsibility of the «Service Center» specialists, who continue to perform their duties commendably despite the challenges of wartime.
