Outcry over Horsham water fountains turned off on hottest day of the year
An outcry over water fountains in Horsham town centre being turned off on the hottest day of the year this week has led to an about-turn.
Mums had earlier accused Horsham District Council of spoiling children’s fun by switching off the much-loved water jets in The Forum just as many youngsters were hoping to cool off on their way home from school.
A group of frustrated mums spoke of their disappointment on social media after the fountains were turned off at 4pm on Wednesday. One said: “I think it’s HDC just spoiling fun for all.”
However, the council has said that it switched off the fountains at 4pm because of safety and vandalism problems – but has now said it will keep the water flowing for longer.
The council announced plans to upgrade the fountains two years ago with a new treatment system allowing the fountains to stay open during the hot summer months.
The fountains have been delighting children since 2004 but their popularity with youngsters later led to them being frequently closed while the water tank and pipes were cleaned and tested for bacteria.
Now, after learning of the children’s disappointment this week, the council says it will extend the water flow. A spokesperson said: "We recognise that The Forum fountains being switched off at 4pm is disappointing for some people.“This has been done for public safety reasons and also to reduce vandalism which has been an issue in the past when the fountains are operational later in the day.“In response to recent user comments, we will extend the functionality of the fountains until 5pm during the hotter months.”