A popular water fountain in the Stapleton neighborhood has been shut down by the city as a safety precaution after users complained of a strange odor and health tests found trace amounts of E. coli.
The Central Park at Stapleton interactive fountain will be closed for the rest of the summer.
The fountain is used by many people to help beat the summer heat. Infants and young children — some in diapers or training pants — are among those who frolic in the water.
The fountain was designed for human use and is “fitted with a filtration system that adds bromine and chlorine to the cistern,” Denver Parks and Recreation said. But the filtration system is inadequate and needs to be beefed up.
The parks department consulted with the city’s Department of Environmental Health before deciding to temporarily close the fountain, said Jill McGranahan, a parks department spokeswoman.
“Although disappointing, we feel that closing the fountain now and addressing the potential issues caused by the inadequate filtration system will prevent potential future public health risks,” said Scott Robson, deputy manager of parks and planning.
Some strains of E. coli can make people sick, causing diarrhea. More virulent strains can cause serious, or even fatal, illness in the young, elderly and infirm.
The parks department plans to work with Park Creek, the company that designed the fountain, and a pool specialist from the city’s aquatics division to find an alternative filtration system and retrofit the fountain for the 2011 summer season. McGranahan did not have a cost estimate on the retrofit.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
