Water Fountain Safety Tips for Businesses

Fountains are a wonderful addition to any business - they create a calm, restful environment that will put your clients at ease and serve as a beautiful focal point. Since businesses get much more traffic than most homes, there are a few steps you should take to ensure the safety of everyone who will be around your new fountain, particularly small children. Here are some fountain safety tips for businesses.

When installing a wall fountain, it's best to have an electrician install a power outlet directly behind the fountain. If your fountain has a flat plug, you can use a regular outlet, but if it's a standard plug, you'll need the outlet to be recessed. Cords hanging from the bottom of the fountain can be a hazard to curious children. Never use extension cords to plug your fountain in.

Wall fountains should be properly hung on the wall with brackets or sturdy anchors. Lightweight fountains that are hung on nails or screws should be up high enough that children can't reach them.

Make sure the fountain is sitting on a completely level surface. If it's at all crooked, it may splash a bit, causing a small amount of water to land on the surface below. Even a little water could cause someone to slip and fall. Just watch the fountain carefully for any splashing once it's set up. If you do notice splashing, try these suggestions from the FAQ's at KineticFountains.com.

Never allow the water in the fountain to stagnate. Keep it circulating at all times, or empty the water if you must unplug the fountain for any period of time. Stagnant water can develop harmful bacteria and has been associated with Legionnaires disease. When water is circulated through the fountain, it's kept oxygenated, which inhibits bacteria growth.

Use water treatments to prevent the growth of algae and mineral scale in your fountain, but choose them carefully. It's best to use natural, chemical-free water treatments that specifically state that they're safe to use around children. Fountec and Protec are excellent choices and have proven over many years to be extremely reliable.

Clean the fountain on a regular basis according to the manufacturer's instructions. If your fountain didn't come with cleaning instructions, contact the manufacturer for tips. Most fountains need to be disassembled and cleaned thoroughly about once a year, but the water should be drained and replaced every 3 months or so. Many fountains have convenient drain plug holes that make this process very simple; you could also use the fountain's pump to pump the fountain water into a bucket or sink.

Stay tuned for more fountain maintenance tips, or check out our Fountain Care archives.

The fountain pictured at the top of this post is the Cascade Springs Copper Wall Fountain.