Meridian Hill Park Fountain Finally Springs to Life

Better late than never?

Water began flowing down the multi-tiered waterways at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park some time before noon today. A reader tipped us off to the news earlier this afternoon.

The cascading fountain — purportedly the longest in North America — was turned off while crews worked to repair a special pump motor, according to National Park Service officials. Though the work was originally scheduled to be completed in June or July, complications with repairing the one-of-a-kind piece of equipment pushed that date farther and farther back throughout the summer.

But now water is flowing from the fountains, and not a moment too soon: Capital Weather Gang predicts this weekend will be one of the summer’s hottest.