WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s recent renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, intended to provide a stunning “American flag blue” appearance, has faced unexpected challenges as the pool has turned chartreuse due to an algal bloom. This situation emerged just days after the completion of its more than $14 million refurbishment.
While the Washington Monument can now be seen reflected in the pool, Trump’s vision of a clear, azure body of water has been complicated by the realities of water chemistry and biology, similar to the struggles encountered by any owner of a backyard pool. The scale of the Reflecting Pool is immense, surpassing ten Olympic-sized pools, and it draws its water from the Tidal Basin, which has its own set of cleanliness issues.
Algal growth has plagued the Reflecting Pool since its inception over a century ago, but Trump’s administration has made it a priority to address these issues as part of an initiative to beautify Washington, D.C., in anticipation of the country’s 250th anniversary. The project, announced in April, was prompted by complaints from a German friend who described the pool as dark and unappealing.
To combat the algae, teams of National Park Service employees and contractors have employed a variety of treatments, including chemicals and ozone nanobubbles, reminiscent of strategies used to maintain the pool prior to the renovation.
Cochise Wanzer II, president of the Pool Service Company based in Arlington, Virginia, expressed skepticism about the feasibility of maintaining the pool’s cleanliness, noting that using untreated river water while expecting it to remain pristine was unrealistic. “What do you expect?” Wanzer commented. “You’re basically taking natural, untreated river water, pumping it in and expecting it to do something different from what it would do out in the open.”
Moreover, the newly painted bottom of the pool complicates the situation further. Wanzer pointed out that the darker surface absorbs more heat, thus promoting algae growth. “Now that the bottom is nice and dark, it elevates the temperature and the algae grows better,” he explained.
In their efforts to restore the Reflecting Pool, workers are utilizing a swimming pool-type vacuum to remove algae, creating a patchwork of clean, blue areas against the invasive green. The park service has also incorporated hydrogen peroxide into their cleaning regimen, a gentler alternative to chlorine that poses no threat to marine life or the surrounding environment.
On a sunny morning, as mitigation efforts were underway, a contractor was observed wading into the pool to place an ozone nanobubble tube, much to the curiosity of tourists. Among them were Rick and Ariana Pettit from Las Vegas, who were traveling across the country in their RV. Dressed in patriotic attire, they commented on the visible improvements to the pool, with Ariana noting, “Look, it’s already looking more blue.”
In a candid assessment, Wanzer suggested that a more effective solution might involve draining the pool entirely, cleaning it thoroughly, and refilling it with treated water. “They may want to drain it, hose it all down, and start from the beginning with fresh water and treat it as the water comes in,” he stated.
