FAST FACTS:
To fix fountains filtration system expected to cost two million dollars
City is looking at fencing in fountains, hiring more police to keep people out
Officials say if problems continue they will probably shut fountains down
(MEMPHIS 7/2/2010) Nobody is happy about this. The Main Street Mall fountains at Memphis City Hall are a place where parents and children often spend these hot days of summer cooling off. They really shouldn't. News Channel 3 Investigators tested the water at the fountains and at a nearby reflecting pool and found high levels of bacteria. E-coli was the main culprit, and the Tennessee Health Department says any amount of e-coli found is too much. The solution to this problem might not make many folks happy.
They can repair the fountain filtration system. All they need to do is find two million dollars. Memphis City Chief Administrative Officer George Little says that's not going to happen. "Another option we would have would be to put up a fence. Part of the value of the fountains is the aesthetics the way it looks. It really helps to liven up the plaza. The third option is turn the water off. We would hope we would not have to do that, but alternatively if it comes to that, that's really the most viable choice we would have."
We noticed some people keeping their children away from the fountains, following our report. "It is regrettable that it comes to this," Little said, " but it's like many things in the public sector. We had good intentions when we started out, but maintaining and keeping it up is an expensive proposition."
The floods of May 1st. didn't help matters. Water flooded the mall area because of broken drainage systems. The water ended up flowing into the basement of Memphis City Hall. Work is continuing on repairing the damage caused by the May floods.
In the meantime, city officials are looking at other things that might work. "We are working with public safety," says Little, " to try and get a better presence of Memphis Police on the mall. Although it's a small thing, certainly one of the things we would expect, if we get these extra police, would be to discourage use of the fountains and use of the wading pool to bathe in, as some of the homeless have done."
To fix fountains filtration system expected to cost two million dollars
City is looking at fencing in fountains, hiring more police to keep people out
Officials say if problems continue they will probably shut fountains down
(MEMPHIS 7/2/2010) Nobody is happy about this. The Main Street Mall fountains at Memphis City Hall are a place where parents and children often spend these hot days of summer cooling off. They really shouldn't. News Channel 3 Investigators tested the water at the fountains and at a nearby reflecting pool and found high levels of bacteria. E-coli was the main culprit, and the Tennessee Health Department says any amount of e-coli found is too much. The solution to this problem might not make many folks happy.
They can repair the fountain filtration system. All they need to do is find two million dollars. Memphis City Chief Administrative Officer George Little says that's not going to happen. "Another option we would have would be to put up a fence. Part of the value of the fountains is the aesthetics the way it looks. It really helps to liven up the plaza. The third option is turn the water off. We would hope we would not have to do that, but alternatively if it comes to that, that's really the most viable choice we would have."
We noticed some people keeping their children away from the fountains, following our report. "It is regrettable that it comes to this," Little said, " but it's like many things in the public sector. We had good intentions when we started out, but maintaining and keeping it up is an expensive proposition."
The floods of May 1st. didn't help matters. Water flooded the mall area because of broken drainage systems. The water ended up flowing into the basement of Memphis City Hall. Work is continuing on repairing the damage caused by the May floods.
In the meantime, city officials are looking at other things that might work. "We are working with public safety," says Little, " to try and get a better presence of Memphis Police on the mall. Although it's a small thing, certainly one of the things we would expect, if we get these extra police, would be to discourage use of the fountains and use of the wading pool to bathe in, as some of the homeless have done."
