ITHACA, N.Y. — The fountain on the Ithaca Commons is flowing again and is now enclosed by flower planters.
Last week, the new fountain was shut down by order of the Tompkins County Health Department due to health concerns. After coming to an agreement in the form of planters and a sign, the fountain is back on.
Signs posted in front of the fountain read: “Please enjoy the relaxing sight and sound of our fountain. However, please note that the surface is very slippery and the water is not suitable for contact.”
The fountain was created to be an aesthetic fountain, but without signs or a fence at first, people were going in it anyway. Because of that, the health department had two main safety issues — the recycled water and the slippery surface.
Related: Ithaca Commons fountain shut down by order of Tompkins County Health Department
In a previous interview with The Ithaca Voice, Frank Kruppa, public health director, said the main issue was people coming into contact with the fountain.
“The main issue here is that people are coming into contact with it. That contact with the recirculated, untreated water is a concern from a water exposure standpoint as well as the safety issues that are associated with folks climbing on the wet rock,” Kruppa said.
Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick said the fountain is back on after city staff had a productive meeting with the Tompkins County Health Department.
“We agreed that the flowers would make a suitable barricade. We’re looking for a more permanent sign, but otherwise the fountain is back!” Myrick said in an email.