Corning: Safety first near fountain
By Jeffery Smith
jsmith@the-leader.com
CORNING | Kids can cool off in the Centennial Park Fountain, just as long as they're careful.
Corning Inc. installed signs Wednesday near the fountain cautioning children not to run under or drink the falling water. The sign also restricts pets and children wearing diapers from the fountain area.
"Our intent is not to restrict kids from the fountain," said Kelli Hopp-Michlosky, a Corning Inc. spokesman. "We just don't run. We don't want anyone to get injured."
The fountain is surrounded by a brick base that can become very slippery when wet.
The fountain uses recirculated chlorinated water, Hopp-Michlosky said. But one parasite, Cryptosporidium, which contaminated a water park near Geneva last year, is resistant to chlorine.
The parasite is spread by human and animal fecal matter. Diapered children and animals in the fountain increase the risk of contamination. Ingesting contaminated water could result in severe stomach illness.
Cryptosporidium has not been found in the fountain. The fountain was designed to serve as an ornamental water feature and was never intended to function as a recreational aquatic spray ground.
Corning Inc. plans to take additional, precautionary steps to upgrade the treatment and filtration system for the fountain, Hopp-Michlosky said. The work will likely be completed in the fall.
Corning Inc. developed Riverfront Centennial Park in 1993.
The company donated the park to the city in 2001 in celebration of the company's 150th anniversary.
In 2004, Corning Inc. and the city agreed to exchange a 363 East Market St. parcel for ownership of the park.
City Manager Mark Ryckman said the land trade was completed to simplify administration of the park.
