Jet d'Eau Facts for Kids

The Jet d'Eau fountain in Geneva

The Jet d'Eau is a huge fountain in Geneva, Switzerland. Its name means "Water-Jet" in French. It is one of Geneva's most famous sights. You can see it on the city's tourism website. It was even on the logo for the 2008 UEFA football championships.

The fountain is located where Lake Geneva flows into the Rhône River. You can see it from all over the city. It is even visible from an airplane flying 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) high!

How the Jet d'Eau Works
History of the Jet d'Eau
Images for kids
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How the Jet d'Eau Works

This amazing fountain shoots out 500 liters (about 132 gallons) of water every second. The water goes up to an incredible height of 140 meters (about 459 feet). That's taller than many skyscrapers!

Two powerful pumps make this happen. Each pump uses 500 kilowatts of power. They run on 2,400 volts of electricity. Together, they use one megawatt of electricity.

The water blasts out of a 10-centimeter (about 4-inch) wide nozzle. It travels at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour (about 124 miles per hour). At any moment, there are about 7,000 liters (about 1,849 gallons) of water in the air.

You can walk on a stone path to get closer to the fountain. But be careful! A sudden change in wind direction can get you completely soaked.

History of the Jet d'Eau

The first Jet d'Eau, around 1886

The very first Jet d'Eau was set up in 1886. It was located a bit further downstream from where it is today. This early fountain was actually a safety valve for a water power system. It helped release extra pressure. This first jet could reach a height of about 30 meters (about 98 feet).

In 1891, the fountain was moved to its current spot. This was done to celebrate two big events. One was the Federal Gymnastics Festival. The other was the 600th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation. When it was moved, its maximum height was about 90 meters (about 295 feet).

The Jet d'Eau you see today was installed in 1951. It has a special pumping station that is partly underwater. This station pumps water directly from the lake. Before this, it used city water.

Since 2003, the fountain has been on every day during daylight hours. It only stops if it's freezing cold or if the wind is very strong. In spring and autumn, it also runs in the evenings. At night, 21 special lights illuminate the water. These lights use 9 kilowatts of power.

On August 25, 2016, the Jet d'Eau celebrated a special birthday. It marked 125 years since it was moved to its current famous location.