The former parks guy, Chuck Richards, was interested in this years ago and actually got it going. For years the fountain had been filled with dirt and turned into a giant planter, which was interesting. I'm not sure if the current cement bottom of the bowl was poured after the dirt was removed (bet the answer is out there), and Chuck had found a nice brass spray head. He actually hooked water up and everything, but the water was not on a circulating pump, just fed in and over flowed out. At least, that is how my memory serves me. (I'm sure I wrote nearly this same thing in a post a few years back.) Oh, I imagine if the fountain where shut off at night, it would not be nearly as much an attraction. As for during the day, sure people will get in it. Do like Great Falls, throw in a ton of ducks and geese all defecating all over the place and believe me no one will want to go in the water. As for you about to draw a comparison to the fountain and the city pool, as the Fonz would say, "Sit on it."