making a water fountain

Well, for the technical parts, such as the water pump, and how to connect the pipes for the fountain, you should go to either a plumbing or hardware store, and ask someone there for advice. But before you go, you should have a good idea of what you want. That way, you'll be more able to explain to the expert what you want to do. Start with a drawing of the kind of fountain you want. Even if it isn't the greatest artwork in the world, it will still be a good guidline to go by. Then, come up with some measurements for the fountain; not only how tall and wide you would like it to be, but also the different hights and widths of the different parts of the fountain. And, make sure you take both measurements, and photographs, of the area that the fountain is going to be built in. You don't want your fountain to be five feet wide and seven feet high, if you only have three feet of room total to work with. Take your drawing of the fountain you want, your fountain measurements, and the images and measurements of your workable space with you when you speak to the expert. He or she can then work with you to make the real fountain come as close as possible to what you envision. But, if it doesn't work out, you can always hire a neighborhood kid to stand outside and spit water, or to stand there with a hose (which, would probably be more sanitary).