Dulcet Fountain employees and city maintenance staff buff the interior of the German Park fountain in preparation of adding an epoxy coating. This epoxy coating is the final step needed before the fountain can be turned back on. Unfortunately, rainy weather has delayed the project.

NEW ULM – Repairs to the German Park fountain are almost complete, but the rains will need to stop before waters flow again.

In a normal year the fountain would have been turned on in spring before Memorial Day, but this was delayed to allow for repairs to the interior surface. The last time the fountain received a full surface treatment was in 2007.

For the last several years, the city used contractors to treat the interior surface with plaster patches, caulking and epoxy paint to prevent leaks. New Ulm Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Ryan Weier explained a full reconstruct was needed this time because water was beginning to intrude into the structural masonry around the fountain. The overall scope of the project was to replace the inner masonry which was depreciating.

In March, Dulcet Fountains was hired to complete the repair work to the fountain but the project was delayed due to weather.

“It has been a terrible spring for this,” Park & Rec. Maintenance Brian Batt said. He was supervising work on the fountain Thursday morning. He said the initial cement work was delayed about a month due to the weather.

Fortunately, the cement only needed a few days to cure. Batt said work crews were able to start adding epoxy layers. A special blue color epoxy has already been added to the fountain. Previously the fountains interior surface was white.

Batt said the sky blue color will better reflect the water. It is also a nod to the park’s history as the former site of the public swimming pool.

A final coat of epoxy is still needed for the fountain. Unfortunately, it will require four days without rain to apply it.

“We can’t get four days without rain in June,” Weier said. Thursday was the first chance all month to apply the epoxy, but unfortunately, it started to rain later in the day, further delaying the project.

The goal was to turn the fountain on next week in time four the 4th of July holiday. Weier believes it will likely take another week before the fountain is ready to go.