Keeping a campus favorite clean

Man uses power washer on outdoor fountain components

Photo by Christopher Gannon.

Memorial Union operations engineer David Wiese uses a pressure washer inside the Fountain of the Four Seasons during routine maintenance of the central campus icon Monday morning. He and colleague Kevin Stockman complete the task twice a month during fountain season to keep algae under control and the pool clean and to ensure the fountain operates smoothly. Typically, the fountain pool drains overnight, gets cleaned in the morning and the refilling begins in the afternoon to finish during the night.

Two teams share maintenance of the Fountain of the Four Seasons. MU staff maintain the pool, including lights, spouts and piping. University Museums is responsible for maintaining the famed Christian Petersen sculpture portions of the fountain.