Take to the beach in North Swindon

Julian keeping an eye on his fountain

The sight of completely soaked children became a common site at the North Swindon district centre over the summer months where the town's newest attraction has proved a huge hit.

The £500,000 dancing fountains designed by a Canadian company at the heart of the centre draws children of all ages like bees to honey. They are to be seen larking about for hours chasing the spouts of water, sitting on the jets and letting them shoot up their T shirts.

But with the tragic deaths from outbreaks of Legionnaires Disease in other parts of the country this year, maintaining the fountains to the highest standard is paramount.

The job falls to Julian Leggett from Freshbrook who is manager of the West Swindon district centre, and formerly had responsibility for several big office blocks in the town centre with air conditioning units. "Legonella is an air borne bacteria which can spread when water droplets are turned into a fine aerosol," he said. "In the mild form people have cold symptoms, but older people, smokers and young children are vulnerable to serious illness. It means the water quality in a facility like the fountains has to be regularly checked and the right chemical levels maintained to kill off the bug."

Apart from the cost, Julian said other features of the fountain were impressive:

• under the fountains is a huge tank which takes 27 hours to fill;
• there at 48 jets powered by two pumps;
• one fountain has its own pump and is capable of throwing a jet up to 30 metres, higher than the adjacent shops;
• controlled by a computer run by a company in Surrey, an infinite number of jet combinations can be programmed into the system;
• each jet has a floodlight in its base to create a fascinating light and water show;
• super fine jets around the fountains, fed directly from the mains, will create a fine mist which sits like a fog over the site on a quiet evening;
• a nearby gauge will turn the fountains off if the wind gets above ten miles per hour and a thermometer does the same if the temperature drops within two degrees of freezing.

Being responsible for such expensive kit, Julian said he did not want children on the fountains at first. "I must admit that I was slightly outraged when I saw the kids in Omy fountain.' But it's a community facility and there's a nice atmosphere with the mums and dads sitting around the side watching the children."

Debbie Botting from Moredon said she used to take her daughter Clare, now 21, to the Penhill paddling pool before it was vandalised and closed. "I've just spent five hours here with my friends and their children. They've had a lovely time, we've got a tan, we popped into Pizza Hut for an ice cream, all we need now is a poolside bar."

Watching about 40 children squealing with delight as the water jet cycle starts up, long time railway man Dave Ellis from Pinehurst said the fountains also reminded him of his youth and hot days at Penhill and Coate Water. "It's wonderful to see the children and parents enjoying themselves."