The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is undergoing a major renovation, but a recent New York Times report suggests the project may be missing its most critical component.
While the administration is pushing to complete the work before the United States‘ 250th birthday celebrations, experts are warning that the pool’s plumbing system, which they directly link to recurring algae problems, remains unaddressed.
The project’s cost has grown significantly, rising from an original estimate of $1.8 million to a current price tag of $13.1 million. This increase is tied to a no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based firm. The contract focuses on resealing expansion joints and applying a fresh coat of paint described as “American flag blue.”
President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for the project, saying the new coating will last 40 or 50 years and that “there’ll be no leaks, there’ll be no anything.” However, experts say the core problem lies beneath the surface, in the network of pipes connecting the four-million-gallon pool to its water treatment plant.
The pipe system that causes algae remains outside the scope of the current contract
According to the report, “Twelve-inch pipes under the surrounding parkland are responsible for moving large volumes of water from the pool to the treatment plant and back again.” When fully operational, the system is designed to filter the pool’s entire volume every three days.
The problem is that these pipes frequently break and leak, a failure the Park Service attributes to the plastic walls of the pipes collapsing under pressure from the surrounding soil. As the Reflecting Pool’s rising costs and unresolved issues have drawn wider attention, questions about the contract’s scope continue to grow.
When the pipes break, the pool gets disconnected from the filtration system, and the water sits stagnant. That stagnation is what allows algae to grow, covering the pool floor in green murk. While the current renovation aims to waterproof the floor, experts say that “the algae could come back” if the plumbing issues are not fixed, which would obscure the new blue surface and render the aesthetic work ineffective.
Trump addressed criticism of the project in a post on Truth Social, specifically pushing back against reporting on the rising costs. He wrote, “Finally, we have professionals doing the right job for a tiny fraction of the money that has been spent, and The Failing New York Times continues to demean the work of these wonderful, talented, and proud construction professionals that are bringing this over 2,000-foot-long pool, the largest in the World, BACK TO LIFE!”
He also said the scope of the work expanded as the administration recognized the site’s importance for the upcoming 250th-anniversary events. In the same post, Trump described the pool’s condition before the renovation began.
The President wrote that “it was a disgusting, garbage strewn dump that leaked, smelled, and was an embarrassment to our Country, and two of our Greatest Presidents.” According to The Hill, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has also backed the project, accusing the press of ignoring the facts about the necessity of the repairs.
This is not the first time the pool’s water quality has prompted a costly federal response – the Trump administration previously spent $1.5 million on pool water treatment after an associate flagged concerns about its appearance.
Despite the administration’s defense of the work, the Park Service stated during Trump’s first term that “the only solution was to replace thousands of feet of pipe.” That work has not been completed.
The administration has indicated that pipe replacement is planned for the fall, but has not provided a detailed timeline or specific plan. The current contract with Atlantic Industrial Coatings does not include replacing the failing pipes, leaving the system exposed to the same vulnerabilities that have caused problems for years.
Published: Jun 3, 2026 10:11 am