Competition-Winning Fountain to Be Installed in Valley Court Park

Above: Designers’ rendering of the fountain in Valley Court Park.

Thanks to a competition for MSU engineering students plus a donation from the Delta Dental Foundation, East Lansing’s Valley Court Park will soon be home to an innovative new drinking fountain with a Great Lakes theme.

The Fountain Challenge is a competition for MSU students to design a functional and aesthetically pleasing drinking fountain that addresses concerns about water quality. The winning team, comprised of Caleb Whetstone, Kenzo Bird and Adam Anderson, designed a fountain with a Great Lakes Theme.

The design features three separate drain bowls, two for drinking and one for bottle filling, as well as a pet bowl. Draining water will be visible through a one-half-inch thick tempered glass window which will reveal a cascading waterfall as drained water joins the waste water system.

According to the design proposal, this waterfall is meant to symbolize the unique and important ecological system of Michigan’s drinking water, the Great Lakes.

In addition to the visible waste water system, the design includes a concrete pad with an inlaid mosaic of the five Great Lakes and a canopy with solar panels. The power generated by the solar panels will power a UV light filter, overhead lights for nighttime security, and internal LED fountain lighting operated by a push button.

The $30,000 grant, which Delta Dental is providing, is available for projects with an association with dental health, in this case clean and safe drinking water. In recognition of this grant, permanent signage will be installed on site. East Lansing’s City Council approved the plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 9.