The Market Square fountain has been switched off after routine testing discovered higher than normal levels of legionella and other bacteria, including very low levels of e-coli.
The fountain was turned off on Tuesday when the test results were received.
A specialist company was drafted in to carry out monthly tests on the fountain - which council bosses claimed is a much more stringent testing regime than good practice recommends.
Councillor Tim Hadland, Cabinet Member for the Planning, Enterprise and Regeneration, said: “This is very frustrating as we know how much people enjoy the fountain in the warm weather.
“Our monitoring and testing regime is particularly robust as public safety is absolutely paramount and we will take no risks. “We’ll put the fountain back on as soon as it is retested and the results have returned to normal.
”Work is now going on to thoroughly disinfect and retest the fountain before it will be switched on again.”
The council will also be investigating how the raised levels occurred so that if possible, action will be taken to stop it happening again.
The fountain was turned off earlier this year during the hosepipe ban, but borough council leaders insisted that claims made by independent councillor Tony Clarke that a health scare had prompted the switch-off were ‘irresponsible’ by a senior Tory politician.
Mr Clarke, the former Labour MP for Northampton South who now sits as an independent on Northampton Borough Council, raised concerns in an online blog over the safety of the fountain and questioned whether it may have been turned off due to the possible presence of bugs such as E-coli.
He said: “Recycling of water in an area where dogs, pigeons and even humans foul cannot be good for little mites running through the mist ingesting all and sundry.”
But, at the time, the local authority flatly denied the fountain was turned off because of any health scare and said it was purely because of the hosepipe ban.
Speaking to the Chron on May 18, Councillor John Caswell, Northampton Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “It is irresponsible of Tony Clarke to imply there is a health risk related to the Market Square fountain when so many children have enjoyed racing through it or splashing about on a hot day. There is no health risk.”
Parents have voiced concerns over the test results, with several Chron readers commenting on Facebook claiming their children had been playing in the fountain during the recent warmer weather.
Kelly Browne said: “It’s a complete waste of money, the money would have been better spent putting play parks for kids in different areas.”
But Eileen Beesley said: “This potential for infection has been well publicised. I cant imagine why anyone would let their kids run through it, it’s obvious that it will be contaminated, just look where it is.”
A specialist company was drafted in to carry out monthly tests on the fountain - which council bosses claimed is a much more stringent testing regime than good practice recommends.
Councillor Tim Hadland, Cabinet Member for the Planning, Enterprise and Regeneration, said: “This is very frustrating as we know how much people enjoy the fountain in the warm weather.
“Our monitoring and testing regime is particularly robust as public safety is absolutely paramount and we will take no risks. “We’ll put the fountain back on as soon as it is retested and the results have returned to normal.
”Work is now going on to thoroughly disinfect and retest the fountain before it will be switched on again.”
The council will also be investigating how the raised levels occurred so that if possible, action will be taken to stop it happening again.
The fountain was turned off earlier this year during the hosepipe ban, but borough council leaders insisted that claims made by independent councillor Tony Clarke that a health scare had prompted the switch-off were ‘irresponsible’ by a senior Tory politician.
Mr Clarke, the former Labour MP for Northampton South who now sits as an independent on Northampton Borough Council, raised concerns in an online blog over the safety of the fountain and questioned whether it may have been turned off due to the possible presence of bugs such as E-coli.
He said: “Recycling of water in an area where dogs, pigeons and even humans foul cannot be good for little mites running through the mist ingesting all and sundry.”
But, at the time, the local authority flatly denied the fountain was turned off because of any health scare and said it was purely because of the hosepipe ban.
Speaking to the Chron on May 18, Councillor John Caswell, Northampton Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “It is irresponsible of Tony Clarke to imply there is a health risk related to the Market Square fountain when so many children have enjoyed racing through it or splashing about on a hot day. There is no health risk.”
Parents have voiced concerns over the test results, with several Chron readers commenting on Facebook claiming their children had been playing in the fountain during the recent warmer weather.
Kelly Browne said: “It’s a complete waste of money, the money would have been better spent putting play parks for kids in different areas.”
But Eileen Beesley said: “This potential for infection has been well publicised. I cant imagine why anyone would let their kids run through it, it’s obvious that it will be contaminated, just look where it is.”
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