Donald Trump’s team has turned to hydrogen peroxide and “nanobubbles” in an effort to rescue the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after the newly refurbished basin quickly developed a green algae bloom.
The 2,030-foot-long landmark on the National Mall was recently emptied, repaired and repainted in what Trump has promoted as an “American flag blue” makeover. The project, which White House officials have said was meant to improve the pool’s appearance and reflection, has drawn intense scrutiny because of its cost and because the water feature turned green soon after it was refilled.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the way the Reflecting Pool was previously maintained, and his administration framed the renovation as part of a broader push to beautify Washington ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
By Tuesday, however, park staff were responding to the algae problem with a very different scene: workers were seen dumping bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the water and using a nanobubble ozone system to try to suppress the bloom.
Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used in small doses as a pool treatment, and the National Park Service said the combination of peroxide and nanobubbles was intended to help kill algae and other contaminants. Even so, the sight of crews treating the iconic pool like a giant backyard swimming pool prompted plenty of online ridicule.
The CDC warns that concentrated bleach and other strong cleaning chemicals can cause skin irritation, burns and breathing problems if mishandled. In a large outdoor water feature, officials also have to consider effects on birds and other wildlife that use the pool and surrounding waterways.
Locals have also reacted with disbelief to the algae-covered pool, according to the Daily Beast.
“I think it’s a mess. I’ve never seen it this green before,”
adding,” I was expecting green, but it’s a little greener than I thought it would be.”
The restoration project was finished only days before, with crews using oversized paint rollers while the pool was emptied. Trump had originally said the work would cost about $2 million, though the total later climbed to more than $14 million after contracts and additional work were tallied.
The Reflecting Pool has long been vulnerable to algae because it is filled from the Tidal Basin and has required periodic draining, cleaning and treatment over the years. The latest problem has revived criticism that cosmetic fixes alone cannot solve the deeper maintenance issues tied to the aging water system beneath the monument.
Although the makeover was first presented as a major win, visitors and photographers quickly began pointing out problems when algae buildup turned the water a noticeable green shortly after reopening.
By Monday, National Park Service staff were seen standing in the pool and removing thick patches of the growth.
A government spokesperson defended the response and said the algae issue was already being addressed.
“Unlike under Obama and Biden, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool,” the spokesperson told The Independent.
“To keep the water in the Reflecting Pool not only crystal clear but also clean, we are deploying high-tech nanobubble ozone technology. This technology is actively killing algae, pathogens (e.g., E. coli), and contaminants that have long plagued the Reflecting Pool since 1922, most infamously, the Obama pool reopening that resulted in massive algae clumps taking over the pool’s surface following years of construction that cost taxpayers millions upon millions, only to be broken and disgusting days later.”