June 19 (UPI) — After cleaning algae from the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool weeks after its $15 million renovation, the Interior Department now has to deal with blue paint applied to its bottom peeling off.
President Donald Trump’s renovation of the national monument was meant to clear the water and prevent algae, and included painting the bottom of the pool “American Flag Blue” in the effort to improve it’s look.
The Reflecting Pool has for decades been known for some algae and unclear water, though it was designed to reflect the Washington Monument and sky rather than appear similar to other fountains and water features at monuments that have filtration systems that prevent water from being still enough to reflect their surroundings.
The pool’s new paint job was meant as an upgrade ahead of celebrations for the 250th birthday of the United States of America but after it was refilled following the paint job, green sludge started appearing on the water’s surface — and on Friday, chunks of paint could be seen floating to its top, as well.
The Interior Department on Friday told The Washington Post that it is treating the pool with hydrogen peroxide and a “high-tech nanobubble ozone technology” to prevent algae growth.
Swimming pool experts told The Post that it is possible the resurfacing was improperly installed, or that there could be water seeping under the repainted surface that is causing it to peel.
In posts on X on Wednesday, as the department started treating the water to reduce algae blooms, officials reported that some parts of the pool had seen clearer water as a result.
“The nanobubbler technology and vacuuming have been incredibly effective,” the Interior Department said in one post, “making the water crystal clear with the American Flag Blue coating shining brightly on the bottom of the pool.”
The cost to repaint the pool, along with other enhancements the administration has made, cost more than $14.65 million for the main contract on the work, with another $1.74 million paid to a separate company for the nano bubble technology that is expected to kill algae in the pool, ABC News reported.
According to a lawsuit filed by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a thorough review of the renovation plans before the administration started work may have identified “potential problems — like algae and exfoliating paint — and, perhaps, suggest solutions.”
“Instead, the Park Service granted themselves a ‘streamlined review,’ which they admitted was done under pressure from ‘White House leadership,'” the TCLF’s CEO Charles Birnbaum told The Post.
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