The colourful leaves of the trees, the rains, the gusts of wind and the changes in air temperature remind us more and more often that the summer season is over. This autumn, it’s time for all the fountains to go into hibernation for a new awakening next spring.
One of the reasons that precipitated the fountains being switched off was the storm that hit Ventspils from 07 October until midnight on 09 October, when the strongest wind gusts reached 30 metres per second and the fountains were switched off.
After inspecting the fountains after the storm and assessing the weather forecast, it was decided that fountain winterisation measures should be initiated, with all ten fountains in Ventspils being gradually winterised by the end of October. The first fountains to be winterised are the “Shipwatcher”, the “Dune Pine” and the “Drops”. Then will follow the fountain “Sun Boats”, which delighted everyone with a rainbow above it on sunny summer days.
The fountain “Frigate “Walrus”” will be the most technically challenging, with 20 masts, eight arms and a flagpole. The masts are equipped with lighting and fog effects. The winterisation process includes both mechanical cleaning of the masts with air pressure, cleaning of the water and fog tubes of the masts, and over-tensioning of the halyards and removal of the flags.
The next fountains to be winterised are the two floating fountains located in the pond of Reņķa Garden and in Vidumupīte near Lielais prospekts.
The fountains will be drained during the winterisation period so that they can be switched on again in the spring without any problems. The maintenance work will include removal of sediment, cleaning of water circulation systems, removal of technological equipment and pumps, which will undergo preventive renewal work to prepare them for the next season.
To make sure that summer is not forgotten so soon, the last fountain to be switched off will be the “Umbrella” fountain and the “Millstone” fountain, recalling the most beautiful moments of summer.
In Ventspils, each fountain is at the same time a unique environmental art object. Therefore, even after they have been winterised, they will continue to delight residents and visitors to Ventspils.
