Workers spotted cleaning out bright green algae from Reflecting Pool days after $14m revamp completed

Key Points:

• Workers have been clearing bright green algae from the Washington, DC Reflecting Pool shortly after its $14 million renovation was completed, with algae spreading near the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial areas.
• The Interior Department described the algae outbreak as a normal part of restarting the pool after construction, attributing it to residual algae in dormant supply lines, and said newly installed nanobubblers would prevent recurrence.
• President Trump praised the renovation, claiming it fixed the pool’s long-standing leaks and was superior to previous efforts, while White House officials defended the project amid media criticism.
• The resurfacing project, initially announced to cost under $2 million and take one week, extended to six weeks with a final cost exceeding $14 million, prompting lawsuits from historic preservationists and scrutiny from Democrats over no-bid contracts.
• Algae has been a recurring issue for the Reflecting Pool, thriving in heat and sunlight, and previous renovations have struggled to prevent its return despite filtration and chemical treatments.