Overview
- President Donald Trump ordered a quick renovation that drained the Reflecting Pool, coated its floor in a dark ‘flag-blue’ pool finish and had the basin refilled on June 4 after work completed.
- Workers reported green algal growth within a day of refilling and crews have repeatedly vacuumed and removed algae as the blooms returned over subsequent days.
- The Interior Department told reporters the visible green came from algae residues flushed from supply lines that were idle during eight weeks of work and said it will install a nanobubbler device to oxygenate the water and discourage future blooms.
- Press reports put the project cost at about $14.2 million, and media coverage has raised questions about expedited, limited or no-bid contracts used to award parts of the job.
- Algal blooms have long troubled the shallow, sun-exposed Reflecting Pool because warm summer water and nutrient conditions favor growth, so experts say surface coatings and short-term cleaning may not prevent recurring problems and the issue could prolong public and political scrutiny ahead of Independence Day events.