The famous Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., is about to be emptied of its water just weeks after a makeover. The decision comes after the pool’s water turned a bright neon green and the brand-new bottom surface started falling apart.
President Trump announced that the government will likely have to drain the entire pool so workers can fix the damage. The government wants the repairs finished quickly because the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday next month, and millions of tourists are expected to visit the area.
Green Algae and Peeling Paint
The pool recently underwent a massive renovation project that cost more than $14 million. As part of the upgrade, the president ordered the bottom of the pool to be painted a deep shade called “American flag blue” to cover up the original gray stone.
However, right after the pool was refilled with water, two major problems appeared.
The water quickly turned a bright, thick green. Experts say this happened naturally because shallow water under the hot sun is a perfect breeding ground for tiny plants called algae. To fight the green water, government workers poured massive amounts of hydrogen peroxide into the pool. Shortly after the chemicals were added, the new blue paint liner began to rip, peel off, and float to the surface in large chunks.
The Blame Game and Recent Arrests
While scientists and pool experts say the peeling is simply a result of a rushed paint job and strong chemicals, the White House is blaming the mess on deliberate sabotage. The president claims that a group of “terrible vandals” used a knife to slice a 250-foot gash into the pool’s new lining and poured destructive liquids into the water.
United States Park Police have already started detaining people near the water. One person arrested was a 67-year-old former Olympic athlete named David Hearn, who was out for a long bicycle ride. Hearn explained to reporters that he did not ruin anything. He said he was just curious about the news, so he stopped his bike and reached his hand into the water to touch a piece of the blue paint that was already peeling off. He was held by the police for five hours and charged with a misdemeanor.
The president also publicly blamed a national television news reporter. He accused the journalist of trying to rip the rubber coating off the surface during a video broadcast, though the reporter was actually just showing viewers how easily the new paint was peeling away.
My Opinion
It is ridiculous to blame secret vandals and news reporters for a case of bad construction work. Draining a historic monument because the paint is peeling off after just a few weeks is embarrassing, especially after spending over $14 million of taxpayer money on it.
Algae grows in static water under the sun, that is basic middle school science. When you rush a massive project just to get it done in time for a holiday celebration, use a no-bid contractor, and then dump heavy chemicals like hydrogen peroxide into fresh paint to hide a green algae bloom, the liner is obviously going to lift and peel. Trying to throw elderly bike riders and journalists in jail for pointing out a sloppy government project is a sad attempt to deflect blame from a total management failure.
A Race Against the Clock
The company that won the contract to install the new cleaning systems has sent a team back to the National Mall to inspect the damage.
Now that the decision has been made to drain the water, workers are racing against the clock to scrape off the ruined liner and seal the cracks. If the contractors cannot fix the peeling paint before the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations, the heart of the nation’s capital will be stuck with an empty, concrete ditch right in front of Abraham Lincoln’s statue for the entire holiday weekend.
