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LSU removes aging drinking fountains that running community relied on for hydration

2 hours 22 minutes 35 seconds ago Monday, January 19 2026 Jan 19, 2026 January 19, 2026 6:00 PM January 19, 2026 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Aging fountains around the University Lakes and the LSU campus have mysteriously vanished. Runners specifically use them to hydrate during long training runs. 

Lisa Rogers finished marathon No. 17 over the weekend and trains around Baton Rouge. She maps out her run, knowing there are water fountains nearby. 

"I don't carry water; I rely exclusively on the water fountains around the Baton Rouge area," she said. 

She went out late last year and was in the middle of doing a 20-mile run when she arrived at a location on Dalrymple Drive. 

"I showed up and went, there's no water fountain," said Rogers.

For weeks, the disappearance has been a mystery. At least three fountains were removed, and the holes have been filled in with concrete. According to LSU Facilities Staff, the water fountains were no longer operational. Rogers said the one in front of The Chapel was working fine, and she used it often.

Another fountain across from the LSU President's Office was in bad shape for a long time and did not function. LSU said the fountains were not repairable and they currently do not have the money to replace them. However, the water fountain in front of The Chapel did not belong to the university. The school said it's working with The Chapel to get it replaced.

"It definitely puts a damper on our running and activities we want to do outside," said Rogers.

LSU said it is reaching out to several groups for funding to replace the remaining fountains.

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