Wall fountains are easy and charming ways to bring some class and characte to your home or garden. But there is also a lot of information circling around the internet that suggests these water features are host to a variety of health benefits, as well. It has been suggested that fountains improve physical as well as mental wellbeing, but does this claim hold water? Can a fountain really combat disease?

The problem with these claims is that there is not a lot of hard evidence to support them. The unfortunate thing is that very few impartial studies have been conducted over the years, and those that do often get very little publicity or merit in the scientific community. Some experiments have been conducted, however, that show that there is in fact a correlation between wall fountains and personal health. Water fountains may not exactly cause better health, but something about them at least seems to improve a person's overall wellbeing. Let's examine some of the "health claims" regarding water fountains.

Some people insist that installing a wall water fountain cleans the air and improves respiratory function, while fortifying your body against disease and depression, because a water fountain produces "negative ions." These negative ions are in fact not ions at all. They are actually a number of negatively charged oxygen and/or nitrogen molecules that are surrounded by water molecules. Studies have shown that these "ions" don't actively clean the air, nor do they produce any great benefits. However, the negatively charged particles in negative ions tend to attract (and subsequently bond to) bioaerosols and dust particles in the air. This dampens these potentially harmful particles, weighing them down until they literally drop to the floor. This does limit the antagonistic effects of common air pollution, which theoretically could lead to improved breathing and air cleanliness. While direct evidence is a little lacking, anecdotally negative ions actually do seem to improve air cleanliness, especially in contained spaces. Your home or office will surely enjoy improved air quality, on a small scale, with the installation of an indoor wall fountain.

It has also been suggested that a wall water fountain "enhances concentration" and reduces stress. Again, there have not been many scientific studies to confirm this, though anecdotes abound. It seems that sitting by an active waterfall (or in this case, a water fountain) is a form of Naturopathic medicine, a natural cure for common physical maladies. Some evidence exists that implies some water fountains may facilitate clear thinking and general mental satisfaction, although listening to a fountain while breathing in the fresh air may not immediately enhance your cognitive capabilities. For one, as mentioned above, they tend to remove airborne pathogens and antagonistic particles from your environment while producing more oxygen particles. This means that your brain will be allowed more oxygen with every breath you take, which in turn may mildly improve awareness. In terms of stress relief, I feel that wall fountains are absolutely effective at relaxing a busy mind. Like listening to classical music, paying attention to the soft sounds of natural, flowing water really puts your mind at ease. It is not uncommon for business owners to put wall fountains in their office, as this seems to slightly improve employee morale and alleviate stress. Again, there is no definitively causal relationship here, but the correlation is quite convincing in itself.

In summation, claims made by water fountain retailers and advocates are not entirely unfounded, although they tend to lack formal scientific evidence. But there does seem to be an anecdotal precedent for a correlative relationship between water fountain ownership and overall improved health. In the end, a wall fountain will not cure any disease, though it may modestly help to prevent ailment, and will likely improve your overall wellbeing in a very subtle manner.