Unforeseeable problem faces the renovated Reflection Swimming Pool between Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, as a few days after the completion of work worth about $16 million, large portions of it were covered by algae. The phenomenon alters the image the Trump government sought to create in the context of the wider landscaping effort of the American capital in the face of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The cost of refurbishing the iconic reservoir amounted to approximately $16 million, according to government contract elements. Donald Trump had announced the reconstruction plan in April, arguing that the monument often received complaints about its image, but also about leak problems.
The National Parks Agency had reported that the reservoir was losing about 16 million gallons of water annually, which made extensive interventions necessary.
Work included sandblasting, sealing, repairs and re-painting of the bottom, which acquired dark blue shades that refer to the colors of the American flag.
However, just a few days after the project was completed, large surfaces of the tank gained yellow-green color due to the growth of algae.
The problem that has troubled the tank for a century
Despite the negative image created, experts point out that the problem is not new.
The Reflection Pool faces similar difficulties since its construction over a century ago. This is a water area greater than ten Olympic pools, which makes its maintenance particularly demanding.
According to the joint maintenance expert Kotsiz Wanzer, the tank is powered with natural water from the region's tidal basin, which often presents quality problems.
As he explains, this water favours the growth of algae, while the dark blue color chosen for the bottom increases water temperature and creates even more favorable conditions for their proliferation.
Battle with algae
Collaborations of the National Parks Service and skilled contractors work intensively to restore the tank's image.
Chemical preparations, ozone nanobubbles and hydrogen peroxide are used for cleaning, a method of treatment considered milder than chlorine use.
At the same time, special underwater electric vacuum cleaners remove algae from the bottom, revealing in several places the new blue surface. In other areas, however, extensive green spots still dominate.
New footage of workers dumping hydrogen peroxide into the algebra-filled Reflecting Pool pic.twitter. com/2tqBIwnRgu— FactPost (@factpostnews) June 16, 2026
What is the definitive solution considered
According to Wanzer, the most effective solution would be to drain the tank completely and repay it with fresh water, which would undergo continuous processing before entering the system.
Such intervention would significantly limit the chances of new growth of algae, although it would require additional costs and time.
Until then, clean-up work continues under the eyes of thousands of visitors and tourists who flock daily to the historical site, in the hope that the ambitious work will eventually gain the picture envisioned by its authors.