One in three Copenhagen fountains dry after staff resignations

One in three public fountains in Copenhagen are without water this summer after two specialized staff responsible for their operation resigned, according to a memo from the city’s Climate, Environment, and Technical Administration.

Fourteen of the municipality’s 40 fountains are currently non-operational, including those at Axel Torv, Israels Plads, Mozarts Plads, Landemærket, and Valbyparkens soppebassin. Additional affected sites include Otto Krabbes Plads, Søpavillonen Vest, Gråbrødre Torv, Superkilen, Brønshøj Gadekær, Sankt Jørgens Sø, Springvandsmaskinen on Rørsangervej, Hans Tavsens Park, and Dragespringvandet.

Mette Baungaard, the department’s area manager, told TV 2 Kosmopol that the administration is now hiring and training new specialized personnel. She acknowledged public disappointment, stating, “I understand if Copenhageners and the many tourists in the city miss some of the beautiful and cooling fountains in this summer heat.”

Operating the fountains is described in the memo as a “specialized task requiring in-depth knowledge of each facility,” with the systems deemed technically complex. For safety reasons, maintenance—including water quality checks, filter cleaning, chemical dosing, and troubleshooting—must be performed by two staff members together, particularly when working in underground technical rooms.

Fountains typically run from early April until autumn, with weekly inspections required during operation.