The most elaborate of the early American fountain aerators was one put into use October 26, 1890, by the Utica, NY., Water Works Company. Seventy-six vertical pipes, 1 foot above high water level, discharged into a distributing reservoir. This reservoir was fed from another, under a 44 foot head when the upper reservoir was full. The risers were fed from 12 inch pipe laid in a quadrangle formed on each side by three 12 foot lengths of cast iron pipe joined by quarter bends. This square was laid on the bottom of the reservoir in water 10 feet deep. Attached directly to this quadrangular manifold were 71, 2 inch vertical pipes about 2 feet apart. Five branch pipes led to risers. Of these, four had diameters of 2 inches and led one from each corner of the square. The caps of the 76 risers were perforated to give orifices of the following diameters: 16, 1 inch; 16, 3/4 inch; 16, 5/8 inch; 56, 1/2 inch; 80, 1/4 inch; and 52,1/8 inch. The jets converged toward the center of the fountain. Their total discharge capacity was 4000 gallons per minute. By means of screw joints the upper part of each riser could be removed to avoid ice damage.
When the Utica aerator was installed, it was designed to eliminate objectionable tastes and odors. When installed, the water supply was impounded in three reservoirs from which it passes by gravity to the distribution system. With the growth of the city the capacity of the aerator became inadequete, reservoirs were build at a higher level and the aerator was dismantled approximately 1902.