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Rips appear in Reflecting Pool's new sealant after algae turn water green

From CBS News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's new sealant has developed rips shortly after its application.
  • Algae have turned the pool water a bright green, prompting cleanup efforts.
  • The renovations, championed by President Trump, have faced multiple issues including leaks and algae outbreaks.

Renovations to the historic Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool have hit a snag, with rips appearing in the newly applied sealant just days after algae turned the water a vibrant green. The century-old pool has a history of persistent problems, including leaks, algae growth, and outdated plumbing, prompting President Trump to initiate a major overhaul.

What you are seeing is residual algae from the supply lines which have been sitting dormant for eight weeks while construction has been taking place.

— Department of the Interior spokespersonExplaining the algae outbreak as a normal part of the pool's startup process.

As part of a broader spring cleaning initiative in Washington D.C. ahead of the nation's 250th birthday, the president aimed to leave his architectural mark on the city. He personally selected the sealant's color, an "American Flag Blue," describing it as the "latest and greatest filament" and an "industrial-grade" variation of a swimming pool liner. The federal contracts for this project were valued at over $14 million.

However, shortly after water was reintroduced, a green sheen of algae became visible. A Department of the Interior spokesperson attributed the outbreak to "residual algae from the supply lines" that had been dormant during the eight-week construction period, calling it a "normal startup process." The spokesperson also stated, "President Donald J. Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good unlike the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden."

President Donald J. Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good unlike the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden.

— Department of the Interior spokespersonPraising President Trump's role in the renovation project and criticizing previous administrations.

Workers have been actively removing the algae, using methods such as dumping hydrogen peroxide into the water and employing a "nanobubbler" to prevent future growth. The Department of the Interior announced on Wednesday that the water was "crystal clear" and dead algae was being vacuumed. Yet, by Thursday, a tear was discovered in the sealant material on the pool's floor. CBS News has sought further comment from the Department of the Interior regarding this latest development.

The water is now crystal clear, and workers are vacuuming up the dead algae.

— Department of the InteriorAnnouncing the successful cleanup of the algae from the Reflecting Pool.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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