Fountain Hills' famed gusher will fall silent for a few days, here's why

The Fountain will return to normal operations starting Saturday September 28.

PUBLISHED SEP 13, 2024

The town of Fountain Hills seen here, circa 1995, when the fountain was the tallest in the US.

Fountain Hills, Arizona: Fountain Hills’s Fountain is shutting down on September 23! Now, before you head off into the hills in a panic, take a breath: The shutdown is just temporary.

The Parks division will be conducting an evaporation test of the lake liner to check for leaks. To obtain accurate readings of the lake levels the Fountain must not run during the test.

At a height of 560ft it's the world's fifth tallest fountain. (Photo: Town of Fountain Hills)

In addition, during the shutdown, the Fountain’s three pumps will receive routine, preventative maintenance service to help increase the longevity of the motors. The Fountain will return to normal operations starting Saturday September 28.

Why is Fountain Hills' Fountain so famous?

Well for one thing, at a height of 560ft it's the world's fifth tallest fountain behind King Fahd's Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; the World Cup Fountain in Seoul, Korea; the Gateway Geyser in St. Louis, Missouri; and the Port Fountain in Karachi, Pakistan.

When it was built in 1970 in Zurich, Switzerland, by Robert P McCulloch is was the tallest fountain in the world.