Dresden's fountains should not remain dry

Mayor demands more money for fountain operation

Eva Jähnigen immediately disagreed. "Mr. Zastrow's proposal unfortunately lacks a link to reality: the city's budgetary situation on the one hand and the underfunding of the fountain operation with increasing maintenance problems and repair requirements on the other will not change as a result of other administrative responsibilities." In addition to better funding for the responsible department, a supplementary budget and an end to the municipal budget freeze are necessary first and foremost.

"Everyone who cares about the operation of our drinking water and fountains as much as I do must work towards this," Jähnigen told dpa. She was pleased that projects such as the trial operation of fog nozzles could still be made possible despite the difficult budget situation. "As Mr. Zastrow knows as a long-standing member of the city council, projects of this kind are financed from other sources and are not a permanent task like the fountains."

According to the administration, there are 102 water facilities in Dresden, including 71 fountains and 11 drinking fountains. Of the latter 82 facilities, 73 are due to go into operation this year - the last by the end of next week. "The opening of the fountain season generally takes around four to six weeks and is a dynamic process. The commissioning of a fountain also depends on whether damage has occurred over the winter that can be repaired immediately, with a time delay or not at all.