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By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune February 04. 2016 2:52PM Barium levels prompt Lithia Fountain shut-off The Lithia Fountains in Ashland's Plaza have been shut down after the city discovered increased levels of barium in the water. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta For more than 100 years people have been drinking from the Lithia Fountain on the Ashland Plaza for its possible healthy qualities and shear curiosity. Its slightly rotten-egg smell and bitter taste has amused tourists for decades. But it started as something more serious. Many believed it to be a cure. The water is full of minerals, including lithium that's thought to soothe the psyche and calm the skin. For generations, starting with Native Americans, the water has been believed to help with everything from digestion to arthritis. But now the fountains are dry. For the past week they’ve been labeled with a black and white sign, “Out of Service.” The city announced the shut-off Friday, Jan. 29. Mike Morrison from Ashland Public Works says they had to shut the fountains off after detecting higher barium levels than usual. Barium is a chemical associated with manufacturing, but in the case of the fountains it’s naturally occurring. According to Ashland Public Works, it’s not hazardous in small doses but because the levels were higher than usual the city made a decision to temporarily shut them off while staff tries to figure out what's going on. The Lithia Fountain has always had barium and several other minerals at higher levels than in typical drinking water, but that’s been true with this well since the early 1900s and likely before. When the fountain water was routinely during the last week of January, officials became concerned. They’re not sure why barium levels increased but it may have to do with weather patterns. “We’re thinking something related to drought and ground water,” says Morrison. "Barium levels have always been greater than is acceptable for a domestic water source," according to a statement from the city, "but since Lithia water is not used for domestic purposes, the increased barium has not been a cause for serious concern." The primary health effect of long-term consumption of elevated levels of barium, studies have shown, is an increase in blood pressure. The well which serves the Lithia Fountains and Enders shelter in Lithia Park is near the airport. It’s a different well than is used for Lithia Springs Resort and the Jackson Wellsprings on Valley View, so their mineral springs continue to be unaffected. The fountains have, since the early 1900s, been a draw for Ashland visitors attracted to its bubbly quality, quinine taste, smell and its history as a homeopathic cure. With tourist season coming soon, the pressure is on to get them back up and running. "We’d like it back on sooner than later," says Morrison. "The sooner the better.” An engineering firm is investigating in hopes of finding the cause of the increased barium and suggesting a solution, even if it involves treating the water without losing its unique qualities. Reach Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/@julieakins. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20160204/NEWS/160209829 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->