Upgrades to the fountain at De Waal Park are currently underway and are set to be completed in the foreseeable future.
These include the removal of old water proofing, repainting the facility and fixing the in-let pipes.
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According to Mayco member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross, waterproofing will be applied before two coats of Eco rubber, at a cost of nearly R125 000.
Van der Ross said that the park remained open to the public but the fountain would be fenced off until the project is complete.
She said that the city had also earmarked the damaged fence in Upper Orange Street for repairs, from an unconfirmed date, adding that they had also applied to the heritage department to repair the bandstand.
“Once the application has been approved, repairs will commence,” she said. “Timelines of repairs can unfortunately not be confirmed at this stage.”
First installed in 1898, the fountain is the centerpiece of the park and a prime swimming spot for dogs on their daily stroll.
It was initially a source of drinking water coming from the upper levels, with the lower basin for dogs and horse and is made of Victorian cast iron from the same foundry as the bandstand that was given to the city for the Industrial Exhibition that was held at the Green Point common, in 1904.
The City then built a pond with water lilies around it in the late 1980s.
The drinking water was later switched off due to drought in the 1990s when it was connected to mountain water after lengthy discussions.
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Picture: Cape{town}Etc/ Murray Swart