See How Trump Is Renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- President Trump announced a $1.8 million project to waterproof and repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, but costs have since surged to over $13 million amid concerns about the quality and pace of work.
- The pool, plagued by leaks and algae blooms despite a $35 million overhaul from 2010 to 2012, currently loses 16 million gallons of water annually due to faulty joints and a problematic filtration system.
- The contract was awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia firm, to reseal joints and apply a new "American flag blue" coating, though Trump later denied prior knowledge of the company.
- As of mid-May, only 35% of the pool's surface has been coated, with joint repairs yet to begin and just 12 days remaining before the government’s May 22 deadline.
- Interior Department staff have expressed concerns over uneven application of the blue coating, though officials say the final finish will be uniform; plumbing issues in the filtration system remain unaddressed until fall, risking recurring algae problems.