The Trump administration has begun adding bleach to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after an algae outbreak disrupted plans to have the water appear “American flag blue” ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Donald Trump has repeatedly highlighted renovation work around Washington, including a $14.2 million makeover of the landmark pool stretching before the Lincoln Memorial.
Earlier this month, the president declared on Truth Social that the project had been finished, describing the overhaul as “very complex, but powerful,” and saying the pool had been refilled with clean water.
“It was originally opened in 1922, but never functioned properly — now it does!” Trump wrote.
He also praised his administration’s role in the project, writing: “Thank you President Trump, thank you Department of the Interior — AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME with The Trump Promenade at The Lincoln Memorial, and The Triumphal Arch, which will be, along with the White House Ballroom, when completed, the Greatest Structure in Washington.”
But only weeks after that celebratory message, the Reflecting Pool’s water took on a murky, bright green hue.
On Tuesday, crews were seen dumping hydrogen peroxide into the water to curb algal growth.
The Department of the Interior, which is overseeing the project, said in a statement to media outlets that ‘nanobubbler technology’ had been installed to address the buildup of algae.
Just weeks after the Trump administration boasted that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was looking ‘better than ever,’ algae turned the water a disgusting lime green
Trump said on Truth Social earlier this month that the Reflecting Pool now had ‘clean, beautiful water’
Crews were seen dumping hydrogen peroxide into the water to curb the algae growth
‘Unlike under Obama and Biden, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool,’ a spokesperson for the department said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
‘To keep the water in the Reflecting Pool not only crystal clear but also clean, we are deploying high-tech nanobubble ozone technology.’
The department added that the technology kills algae, pathogens and contaminants that have long plagued the pool.
The Trump administration then blamed former President Barack Obama for failing to keep up with renovations.
The DOI confirmed that hydrogen peroxide was being used to treat the pool, but claimed there were no harmful side effects to the environment or marine life.
The administration paid over $1.7million to Green Water Solutions LLC last April for a ‘nano bubble,’ according to government spending files.
Nanobubblers are microscopic gas bubbles. They suspend in water, increasing dissolved oxygen levels and altering the water chemistry.
The gas bubbles damage algae cells and break them apart, preventing the water from turning green.
Algae have long persisted in the Reflecting Pool. The Department of the Interior has said they are ‘deploying high-tech nanobubble ozone technology’ to maintain the water
Trump initially said the project would cost $2 million and would only take a week to complete. However, the renovation has taken two months and cost $14 million
Nanobubbler technology has been tested and validated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Ohio State University and University of Florida, the DOI said.
The Reflecting Pool has plagued previous administrations, as algae buildup has frequently prevented the water from properly reflecting the memorial as designed.
The Obama administration poured over $35 million into a repair job, only for the green hue to return within a month.
Trump has taken a stab at the project, initially projecting that renovations would cost $2million and take a week to complete.
The project ended up costing $14million and took two months to complete. Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia company, received a no-bid contract after the administration bypassed bureaucratic procedures, the New York Times reported.
Trump said he personally picked the company after they worked on a pool at his Virginia golf club; however, he later said he did not know the contractor.
When asked about the Times reporting, a spokesperson for the DOI told the Daily Mail, ‘The company selected was the only company that had the expertise, staff, and materials necessary to complete the project in time for major celebrations ahead of our 250th.’
The Daily Mail also approached Atlantic Industrial Coatings for comment. The White House directed all inquiries to the DOI when asked about the contact with the company.
Earlier this month, the White House shared photos of the Reflecting Pool looking clear and blue.
‘The water is ON, the Reflecting Pool is reflecting, and DC is looking better than ever,’ the administration said.
The Trump administration has made it a goal to turn the Reflecting Pool ‘American flag blue’ in time for the country’s 250th birthday
Despite multiple renovation projects under previous administrations, the structure of the Reflecting Pool has made it difficult to keep clear
However, just a few days later, the algae already started popping up again. A spokesperson for the DOI told CNN at the time that the algae was ‘residual.’
‘It’s part of the normal startup process. We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae free,’ they added.
Individuals familiar with the project told the Times that they worried the renovation did not address buried pipes that often leaked.
The Reflecting Pool is one of Trump’s many efforts to ‘beautify’ Washington DC and leave his stamp on the nation’s capital.
He is also in the process of constructing a White House ballroom and a 250ft triumphal arch, both of which have received pushback.
