It's been almost four months since mechanical issues brought a Canberra landmark to a standstill.
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Now, after painstaking repair work, the Captain Cook jet is flowing once again on Lake Burley Griffin.
Work has now finished on replacing the jet's flow control valve, which controls the water flow from the lake into the jet.
The jet started having technical difficulties in December, forcing the jet to be operated manually, before a decision was made by the National Capital Authority in March to shut the jet down.
Following testing of the jet late last week with its new flow valve, estimated to cost up to $250,000, the jet is back to its regular operation, running from 11am to 2pm each day, much to the delight of tourists and Canberrans.
National Capital Authority chief operating officer Lachlan Wood said the jet had been returned to its former glory.
"It's great to see it going again and being back as part of the Canberra skyline," Mr Wood said.
"We're doing our best to make sure it's operational every day, but it is a complex piece of infrastructure and it does need continual maintenance."
As part of the repairs, the jet's valve had to be lifted out by a crane over a three-day period during May.
The valve was then taken to Sydney where it was repaired by specialists using parts flown in from England.
Mr Wood said multiple tests were run in Sydney without water, before being taken back to Canberra.
"We needed to test a number of systems to allow the complete piece of infrastructure to operate to achieve the iconic water spout," he said. "It's got new parts in it, but the way it works and operates is in the same way."
More detailed tests are being conducted on the parts that malfunctioned as part of the old valve, with a report on what led to the breakdown expected to be handed down in coming weeks.
The last breakdown also prompted the authority to order in more spare parts from overseas to be kept as back up in case of further technical issues.
We're doing our best to make sure it's operational every day, but it is a complex piece of infrastructure and it does need continual maintenance
- Lachlan Wood
"We're expecting the new parts to operate to their full design life, but we're ordering in some critical spares to have on hand to reduce the downtime so we don't need to wait as long for them to be shipped out," Mr Wood said.
The recent repairs to the jet were the first phase of maintenance work, ahead of its 50th anniversary next year.
The second phase saw scheduled maintenance completed on the jet, including a new access system being fitted to the jet's outlet structure, providing safer access for workers and was completed last month.
The jet was opened by the Queen on April 25, 1970, and is able to pump more than six tonnes of water 147 metres into the air, which leaves the jet at 260km/h.
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
