Donald Trump's $14M Project Couldn't Stop Algae Blooms
Mediaite • • nation
Key Points:
- Despite a $14 million renovation funded during President Trump's administration, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool experienced a return of algae blooms, turning the water green ahead of a major event on the White House lawn.
- Interior Department officials attributed the algae to residual growth in supply lines dormant during construction, asserting that ongoing measures like chlorine pellets and nanobubblers would control future blooms.
- The renovation included a new blue coating for the pool floor, intended to showcase clean water and prevent leaks, but experts warned that underlying issues with old, leaky pipes were not addressed and could cause algae to return.
- The project involved a no-bid contract that significantly increased costs from an initial $1.8 million estimate to over $14 million, with plans to begin pipe replacement work in the fall still lacking detailed information.
- Critics and reports suggest that without fixing the fundamental plumbing problems, the pool's appearance and water quality improvements may be short-lived despite the expensive surface renovations.