This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
While hot weather continues as summer slowly starts to fade, four popular water features in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park and Library Square have shut down early due to health concerns.
Pools in eight of the state's counties are off-limits to children under age 5 due to a diarrhea outbreak caused by cryptosporidium, or "crypto."
To be safe, Salt Lake City officials decided to close the Seven Canyons Fountain and Rotary Play Park water feature in Liberty Park, and the Wedge Fountain and Gift of Life Donor Fountain at Library Square.
According to a statement issued Wednesday, these four features lack treatment equipment to comply with the state Health Department's recommended levels of chlorination needed to combat the parasite.
"Drinking water that contains this organism can cause disease," said Florence Reynolds, water-quality-treatment manager of Salt Lake City's Public Utilities.
"It is certainly prudent to discontinue operating these water features, where so many children congregate, when they may be exposed to an organism that can make them sick."
Meanwhile, The Gateway fountain on downtown's west edge - a favorite spot for kids to cool down on hot summer days - began hyper-chlorinating a few weeks ago at the direction of state health officials.
"Our feature has been down since Monday for routine maintenance" - an annual process that takes nearly four weeks, said Tracy James, assistant vice president for Inland Southwest Management, the company that owns The Gateway's retail buildings.
James expects that process to finish and the fountain to flow again by Sept. 24.
Meanwhile, swimming pools throughout the area will remain open, but are off-limits to kids under 5 until the crypto scare has passed.
cmckitrick@sclerectomy