The National Park Service is spending at least $54.2 million to repair fountains and water features at seven locations throughout the city over the next few months, according to procurement records reviewed by The Washington Post. Records show a $10.68 million project is underway at Meridian Hill Park, where the Italianate cascading fountain has been dry. Although residents there are proactive in reporting the problems, the fountain has sat empty for years as Park Service crews wrestle with century-old plumbing, algae, gravity and a mammoth maintenance backlog. “Many of these fountains have been affected by outdated mechanical systems and decades of weathering and heavy use, resulting in reduced functionality or extended closures,” Litterst, the National Park Service spokesman, said in an email. And Rawlins Park — in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, two blocks west of the White House — is set to undergo an $11 million revamping.

Source: Washington Post January 02, 2026 18:32 UTC