After a million dollar renovation
Barely opened: Trump’s blue pool is green again
Updated June 17, 2026 – 7:37 amReading time: 2 minutes
Trump’s prestige project at the Lincoln Memorial was supposed to be a visual reboot. As soon as the multi-million dollar renovation is finished, there is another problem.
US President Donald Trump wants the famous pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial to shine in bright blue. “American flag blue”, blue like the American flag. The US government spent around 14.2 million US dollars, around 12.3 million euros, on the renovation of the “Reflecting Pool”. The work should be completed in time for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States on July 4th.
But just a few days after the pool was renovated and shortly before the big USA celebrations, the prestigious property in the state capital Washington is green again. The problem is a well-known one: algae.
In the video | This is what the water basin looks like a few days after the renovation
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The Reflecting Pool is one of the most famous landmarks in the US capital. The approximately 600 meter long water basin is located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It also provided the backdrop against which civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Trump has repeatedly described the pool as “dirty” in the past and personally pushed forward the work. The floor was given a blue coating.
The pool is comparatively shallow, lies in the blazing sun and heats up significantly in summer. After a previous general overhaul, algae appeared again within a few weeks. A new water treatment system should now keep the pool free of algae.
According to US media reports, the Interior Ministry stated that the algae had already died and was currently being vacuumed up. The Guardian reported that national park employees were on site to remove algae from the pool. Hydrogen peroxide was also added to the water to combat the growth.
The cause was residues in pipes that had stood still during construction work. This has been a recurring problem for decades.
Renovation costs increased significantly
The recent renovation also sparked discussions in politics. US media reported that the government awarded the contracts to selected companies without a competitive bidding process. The government justified this with time pressure.
