TWO WATER fountains in the town centre have been switched off indefinitely after council bosses discovered they were leaking and posed a health and safety risk to pedestrians.
Malvern Hills District Council chiefs have turned off the Malvhina and Enigma Fountains off Belle Vue Terrace after they began leaking water on to the nearby road.
Tests and repairs to both features will be carried out to find out the root of the problem and it is unknown when they will return to normal service.
The district council said the leak from the Malvinha Fountain could lead to a build-up of algae which may cause the nearby pathway to become slippery and the leaking from the Enigma Fountain had the potential to damage the wall structure surrounding it.
The Enigma Fountain, officially unveiled by Prince Andrew in 2000, has been damaged over time due to vandalism and people walking on it.
Repair work was carried out to fix a previous leak but a further investigation is now required.
Council bosses believe damage to a drain could be behind the issue with the Malvhina Fountain but it needs to be turned off so a survey of the damage can take place and repairs made.
The two features will be turned back on as soon as the cause of the leaks have been identified and fixed.
Coun Paul Cumming, responsible for property on Malvern Hills District Council, said: “We apologise for any inconvenience or disappointment caused by the decision to temporarily turn off these two popular features.
“However, it’s important as it will allow us to get them properly assessed and repaired.”
This comes just weeks after the Observer reported how The Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells group published suggestions in their latest newsletter to give the Enigma Fountain a new lease of life.
Technological suggestions from readers included having a lantern mounted on the landmark which would frequently change colour using LED technology to indicate what the weather is doing.
But Coun Cumming said switching off the features had nothing to do with recent reports over its future.
“We’re aware of recent speculation and rumours around the future of the Enigma Fountain and I do not want people to misinterpret this latest unfortunate development,” he added.
“So let me be clear, we have absolutely no plans to remove the Enigma Fountain or Malvhina Fountain and we are committed to maintain them.
“Switching them off is a temporary measure and we are determined to get both of them back up and running as soon as possible.”
It is not known yet how much the repair work will cost the council.
