Green Water, Peeling Paint: What's Going On With the Reflecting Pool?

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was supposed to look brand new. President Donald Trump announced in late May that a big renovation project was finished, giving the famous pool a fresh coat of deep blue paint. But within days of being refilled, the pool turned green with algae and chunks of the new paint started peeling off the bottom. Now people across the country are asking: What went wrong?

The Reflecting Pool is one of the most visited landmarks in Washington, D.C. It stretches about 2,000 feet long and 160 feet wide, sitting between the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial. When you look into the water on a clear day, you can see a reflection of the Washington Monument nearby. The pool was first built in the early 1920s, and it has gone through many repair projects over the decades.

Keeping the pool clean has never been easy. By 1978, workers were cleaning it twice a year, hauling away 10 to 15 large truckloads of debris each time. A major renovation in 1981 tried to fix water leaks and drainage problems, but an engineering report soon found the structure was still failing. In 2010, a two-year, $34 million project updated the pool again — and algae became a problem almost right away after that reopening, too.

Algae is a simple, plant-like organism that grows in water. It spreads quickly when water is warm and sunny. Washington, D.C., had several hot days in the 90s around the time the latest bloom appeared, and recent rainfall may have helped it grow even faster. Nutrients that feed algae can blow in from the air or wash off paved roads when it rains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Algae blooms have been a problem at the pool at every reopening since 1922, the Department of the Interior has said.

Trump announced the renovation project in April, saying the pool had been leaking and was not clean enough. He said he wanted to paint the bottom of the pool 'American Flag Blue,' a deep navy color. The Park Service said the blue color would help the pool reflect light better. Before the project, the pool's bottom was plain gray concrete, which the Park Service said made it easier for algae to grow and turn the water green.

The project ended up costing about $16 million, even though Trump had originally said it should only cost $1.5 million. Two companies were hired to do the work: Atlantic Industrial Coatings was paid $14.2 million to apply the blue paint, while Green Water Solutions received $1.7 million to improve the water quality. The renovation included draining the pool, cleaning it, and resurfacing the bottom. Workers began refilling the pool about two weeks before the problems were noticed.

A nonprofit group called the Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior on May 11. The group said the government broke federal law by skipping an important review process required before making changes to historic places. The lawsuit added more controversy to a project already drawing attention because of its high cost and unusual paint color.

Once the pool was refilled, visitors quickly noticed the green water. The Department of the Interior said on June 15 that it had used special technology to destroy the algae and that the effort was working. But the very next day, USA TODAY confirmed the water was still green, and workers were seen pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to try to kill the algae. A science professor from the University of North Carolina warned that green algae could keep coming back during hot and humid summer weather, even with chemical treatment.

Things got worse when photos taken on June 18 showed a large tear in the sealant at the bottom of the pool. By June 20, more photos showed bare patches where the new blue paint had completely peeled away, and workers were seen wading into the water to pull out algae by hand. Trump blamed vandalism for the damage and pointed to graffiti recently found on the National Mall lawn. The full story of what caused the paint to peel is still being looked into.