A fountain by definition makes use of water. Since water is the lifeblood of any fountain it is important to consider what kind of fountain water will be used, how the particles present in water will effect fountain functioning, and what over the counter solutions and additives are available to treat the water you are using. Using additives can also reduce water fountain maintenance. One of the best things we can do to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, hard water mineral deposit is on both indoor and outdoor fountains is to add water additives and solutions whenever we fill the fountain. Although there are advanced techniques to keeping indoor water fountains free of bacteria, we can also use these additives with indoor fountains as a preventative measure, but it is better to stick with distilled water on indoor water features since distilled water has been treated specifically to remove mineral deposits and this will best protect our indoor waterfalls. In addition, hard water buildup is much trickier to clean off an indoor fountain because we cannot scrub the sensitive metal parts where they may accumulate without harming the clear coatings and color finishes that are used on indoor fountain styles like floor and wall fountains.