Renovated Pool Green with Algae
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Turns Green After $14 Million Renovation, Algae Battle Ensues
Key Points
A Pool Service Company president said the algae response is predictable because crews are “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.”
The Interior Department told WTOP that its nanobubble ozone treatment is “actively killing algae, pathogens (e.g., E. coli), and contaminants that have long plagued the Reflecting Pool since 1922.”
One pool-operations expert, “Swimming Pool Steve,” warned that the darker “American Flag Blue” paint absorbs more sunlight, raises water temperature, and makes algae blooms more likely—arguing the colors themselves could drive recurrence.
Forbes reported the renovation plan ballooned from a “$1.5 to $2 million one-week job” into a no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, adding context for how the project was procured and executed.
WTOP observed uneven results during treatment: by late Tuesday afternoon, the water closest to the Lincoln Memorial had turned “blue-gray,” while the east side near the World War II Memorial “remained bright green” as chemicals were poured and water was strained by hand.
Days after a $14.2 million renovation refilled and repainted the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in a bright "American flag blue," the water turned chartreuse — then fully green — as an algae bloom took hold. Reuters reported that National Park Service workers responded by dumping large quantities of 12% hydrogen peroxide into the 6.75-million-gallon pool, alongside a "high-tech nanobubble ozone" system, in a race to restore the landmark before the nation's 250th anniversary on July 4.
By Tuesday afternoon, the results were uneven. WTOP observed that the water near the Lincoln Memorial had turned "blue-gray," while the east side near the World War II Memorial "remained bright green" as workers continued pouring chemicals and straining algae clumps out by hand.
Algae Returns Days After Pool Refill Completed
The pool finished refilling on June 7, 2026. Within three to five days, algae had already taken hold. Forbes reported the water shifted from the intended azure to "chartreuse" and then a "sickly green." By June 15, NPS crews were manually skimming algae clumps from the surface. Interior Department spokesperson Katie Martin blamed the bloom on "residual algae" living inside the supply lines and pumps connected to the Tidal Basin.
The Interior Department told WTOP its nanobubble ozone treatment is "actively killing algae, pathogens (e.g., E. coli), and contaminants that have long plagued the Reflecting Pool since 1922." Officials said both the hydrogen peroxide and ozone treatments pose "no harmful side effects to wildlife or the environment."
Darker Blue Paint May Be Making Algae Worse
Pool-operations expert "Swimming Pool Steve" warned that the new color is part of the problem. He said the darker "American flag blue" paint absorbs more sunlight, raises water temperature, and makes algae blooms more likely — calling the outcome a "foregone conclusion." The pool's original design used a dark, unpainted floor to create a mirror-like reflection, not a bright blue swimming pool look, The Washington Post reported.
One pool service company president put it bluntly. The failure is predictable, he said, because crews are "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." The pool draws water from the Tidal Basin — meaning algae and nutrients from the source can re-seed a bloom almost immediately if conditions favor growth.
Scientists Question Whether Chemical Fix Will Hold
Experts are skeptical the treatments will last. Christopher Gobler, a professor at Stony Brook University, told Investing.com that hydrogen peroxide is a common "quick fix" but often leads to a "rebound of the algae" because it does not remove the underlying nutrients that feed the bloom. One estimate suggested that treating the entire 6.75-million-gallon pool at once would require 5,000 to 10,000 containers of peroxide added simultaneously.
Scientists also flagged an environmental risk. High doses of hydrogen peroxide can create low-oxygen conditions lethal to fish, even if the chemical is less harmful to the ducks and geese on the National Mall. The Interior Department has maintained the 12% concentration used is "milder" than chlorine and safe for wildlife.
A $14 Million No-Bid Contract Now Under Scrutiny
The renovation's price tag has drawn sharp criticism. Forbes reported the project ballooned from a "$1.5 to $2 million one-week job" into a no-bid contract worth more than $14.2 million, awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings — a Virginia firm whose CEO, Curtis Wood, previously worked on pools at Trump-owned properties, according to The Guardian. Senator Richard Blumenthal formally questioned the "troubling no-bid contracts" and the lack of federal review.
The political stakes are high. President Trump personally pushed the renovation, calling the old pool "disgusting" and "filthy," and announced the refilling from the Oval Office on June 4. With the US-250 Semiquincentennial celebrations set for July 4, a pool full of green water would be a visible embarrassment — one that critics like Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen are already calling a "vanity project" gone wrong.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativePublishers
22
Articles
205
Reach
227
