Should Kansas City still be in the fountain business?

Anybody who has looked at their water bill recently knows that it’s not cheap to keep the tap on at their house. Now imagine that you had more than 200 fountains in your backyard.

Kansas City is both trapped and elevated by its reputation as the City of Fountains. It’s a point of pride that the city has been building and filling fountains since 1899. KCUR’s Up to Date will feature the Nelson’s Paul Benson and Ann McFerrin, an archivist with Parks and Recreation, talking about the fountains as works of art today at 11 a.m. (Benson is also speaking at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library on Thursday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m.) Aesthetics aside, the question has to be asked: Should Kansas City still be in the fountain business?