thumb|The Jet d'Eau fountain in Geneva

right|thumb|220px|The first jet d'eau, around 1886.

The Jet d'Eau (, Water-Jet) is a large fountain in Geneva, Switzerland and is one of the city's most famous landmarks, being featured on the city's official tourism web site. Situated where Lake Geneva exits as the Rhône, it is visible throughout the city and from the air, even when flying over Geneva at an altitude of .

of water per second are jetted to an altitude of by two 500 kW pumps, operating at 2,400 V, consuming one megawatt of electricity and costing 510,000 CHF per year. The water leaves the nozzle at a speed of . At any given moment, there are about of water in the air. Unsuspecting visitors to the fountain—which can be reached via a stone jetty from the left bank of the lake—may be surprised to find themselves drenched after a slight change in wind direction.

History

The first Jet d'Eau was installed in 1886 at the Usine de la Coulouvrenière, a little further downstream from its present location.

Since 2003, the fountain has operated during the day all year round, except in case of frost or particularly strong wind. It also operates in the evenings between spring and autumn, when it is lit by a set of 21 lights consuming 9 kW.

The Jet d'Eau featured in the titles and cut scenes of the late 1960s British television series The Champions.

thumb|View of Jet D'eau from St Pierre Cathedral

Images

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File:ETH-BIB-Genf = Genève, Salève, Mont Blanc aus 300 m-Inlandflüge-LBS MH01-007927.tif|alt=|Aerial view in 1937, before the contemporary Jet d'Eau, photographed by Walter Mittelholzer

File:ETH-BIB-Genf- Genève-LBS H1-017794.tif|alt=|Aerial view in 1954

File:JetdEau-avi.jpg|Jet d'Eau with blue light in 2007

File:Jet d'eau Geneva.jpg|In 2019 with rainbow effect

File:Le jet d-eau de Genève.jpg|alt=|Aerial view in 2020

</gallery>

See also

  • Captain James Cook Memorial, similar water jet fountain in Canberra, Australia

Notes

  • SIG Genève, the maintainer of the Jet
  • Jet d'Eau page at City of Geneva website
  • Jet visible on Google Maps