Overview
- The pool was refilled in early June and developed visible algal clumps and widespread greening by mid‑June, only days after completion of the repainting and resealing project.
- National Park Service crews and contractors are vacuuming algae and applying hydrogen peroxide while a contracted nanobubble ozone system has been deployed and is being credited by the Department of the Interior with killing the bloom.
- Independent testing reported by CNN found phosphate levels far above recommended amounts for pool water, a nutrient condition that promotes rapid algae growth and undermines short‑term treatments.
- The renovation cost estimates escalated from initial low figures to roughly $14–15 million and used expedited, urgency/no‑bid awards to firms that installed the coating and filtration, prompting lawsuits by preservation groups and ongoing scrutiny.
- The Reflecting Pool’s century‑long pattern of leaks and blooms, the decision not to fully replace buried 12‑inch circulation pipes now planned for later repair, and the short‑term nature of chemical and nanobubble fixes signal the algae problem could recur and will require sustained maintenance.