No Water in Fountain
Construction is going on around campus, and the Tanner Fountain in front of the Taggart Student Center is no different.
The two-phase construction process currently under way includes updating the cement on the outside and the piping underneath.
“Parts were old and needed replaced. We have also experienced a few problems,” said Darrell Hart, associate vice president for Facilities.
The fountain is more than 20 years old, Hart said. It was originally donated by the O.C. Tanner Foundation to USU and it, along with its adjoining plaza, were dedicated May 31, 1980.
The cement will be updated by replacing the old cement with new. This won’t change the outer appearance of the fountain, Hart said, and the contractor is trying to finish the work requiring the use of heavy equipment before school starts. Hart believed they were very close to being done as of this past weekend.
Over the winter months the underground piping will be fixed and updated. The vaults which pump the recycled water through the fountain are being fixed. Water has been getting in certain areas and causing the fountain to stop working.
Water won’t flow through the fountain at all before winter, but John DeVillbiss, executive director for public relations, said it will be ready in the spring.
While Hart said they haven’t received any complaints about the fountain not having any water and the construction going on, students have noticed the difference.
“It should’ve been done a long time before school started so that we don’t have to see it torn apart,” said Todd Vincent, a junior majoring in biochemistry.
Hart said while they had not planned on having the fountain running at all this year, the contractor seems to be on schedule to have it working again in the spring.
Students are going to have to wait while this gathering and study spot takes a break for the next few months, but come warm weather, the water should be flowing and students can again enjoy the Tanner Fountain.