Barcelona begins gradual reopening of ornamental fountains after drought
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc set to return in second phase, between June and October
Barcelona City Council began reopening ornamental fountains on Tuesday, letting the water flow for the first time since November 2022, when supply was switched off due to the drought.
The first fountain to be reactivated was the Cascada del Parc de la Ciutadella, with others following throughout the morning, including the Bessones fountains and others in Plaça Catalunya, the Francesc Macià fountain, the fountain at the intersections of Passeig de Gràcia and Gran Via, and Font d'Aurora in the Jardinets de Gràcia.
Barcelona has a total of 330 ornamental fountains. During the drought, 85 of them remained operational, exempted from restrictions due to providing a habitat for animal and plant life.
The fountains that were switched will be brought back into service in three phases over the next year.
In general, the fountains will follow a regular schedule, operating from 12 noon to 2pm and from 5pm to 9pm. However, fountains in the city center and those in certain notable gardens will follow a summer schedule, staying on from 12 noon to 10pm.
Phased reopening
The first phase, now underway and running until June, includes 68 fountains with surface areas under 40 m². This phase also covers five fountains along Passeig de Gràcia and Font de Manuel de Falla in Nou Barris – 74 fountains in total.
From June to October, the second phase will see the return of 73 fountains with surface areas between 40 and 100 m², including the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc.
The third and final phase will involve switching the flow of water back on at 72 large fountains, each over 100 m², between October and the first half of 2026.
A total of 19 fountains will remain inactive for now, either due to ongoing construction or pending repair and restoration work. In addition, seven brand-new ornamental fountains are expected to be operational before the summer.
The project is part of the city's fountain maintenance contract, with €2.1 million allocated for the works between 2024 and 2025.
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