The Tivoli Fountain will be filled on Friday, May 13 and water will spray skyward on Monday, May 16, but soon after the popular Capitol Campus water feature will be drained and shut down for the rest of 2016.

The Department of Enterprise Services will fill all three fountain basins on May 13 and then measure water loss over a 72-hour period.

The work is in preparation for a visit on May 16 by a fountain repair consultant. The consultant – Waterline Studios of Dripping Springs, Texas – will review the existing operational conditions of the fountain as part of major maintenance investigation.

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

The goal of the maintenance investigation is to:

• Assess the fountain's overall condition.
• Help identify ways to operate it more efficiently with less water loss.
• Devise a long-term strategy for preserving the historic campus feature.

While the state has made many minor repairs and done regular maintenance on the fountain since its dedication in 1953, most of the major components, including the piping, are original and have never been replaced.

The campus fountain is a replica of a famous Roman-style fountain located in Tivoli Park, 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 and dedicated in April 1953.

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