Aalst (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Aalst seeks a sustainable solution for the fountain’s repair plan. Only 2 out of 10 are still working. Alderman Iwein De Koninck cites neglect, poor design, and drought.
As VRT News reported, Aalst’s city fountains are causing concern among residents, as most have been dry for almost the whole summer. Only 2 out of 10 are still working. City officials say the trouble comes from both technical faults and poor installation choices made in the past.
Early in the summer, they tried to use water from a pond nearby instead of urban tap water, hoping to be a greener solution. Due to hot and dry weather, the fountains are drying up after just a few days instead of lasting for several weeks, as the pond water rapidly evaporates.
What is Aalst doing to solve its dry city fountain problem?
Alderman Iwein De Koninck (CD&V) said some fountains in Aalst have technical problems, but the bigger issue comes from decisions made years ago when they were built. Several were linked directly to mains drinking water. The city is looking at new ways to run the fountains.
Plans that are being considered include self-circulating systems with underground reservoirs so they can continue working during short periods of drought. Iwein De Koninck added that they want to find a sustainable, low-cost solution that allows the fountains to continue operations even during hot summer months.
“In the past, there has been insufficient maintenance of the fountains.”
Responsible councillor Iwein De Koninck (CD&V)
Alderman Iwein De Koninck acknowledged that the current problems with the fountains in Aalst are not only due to poor installation. He said that in the past, the city never had enough regular maintenance performed on the fountains, and too few municipal workers were watching over the fountains.
De Koninck says there will be no quick solution to the fountain problems in Aalst. He mentioned that due to long periods of drought, even new systems and proper maintenance will still leave some fountains dry. It’s clear the city is going to try to fix the problems and is working on a multi-year plan, which includes subsidies for repairs. The budget will be presented in December 2025.
In recent years, many cities in Belgium have faced challenges keeping public fountains running, especially during hotter and drier summers. In 2022, Bruges shut down several fountains during a heatwave to save water, and Ghent has also faced closures due to technical faults and drought conditions. In some towns, fountains were turned off for entire summers because of maintenance backlogs or water restrictions.
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