Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Sunday that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's murky era is over. Appearing on CNN's State of the Union, he declared the algae "all gone," crediting new "nanobubbler" technology installed as part of a $14.6 million overhaul. The green sheen that briefly covered the water, he said, came from algae in the pipes as the pool was refilled, per the Hill, but he described the pool now as "completely clean and clear" and touted the system as a lasting fix.
The renovation—along with President Trump's decision to paint the basin a bright "American flag Blue"—has drawn scrutiny. Burgum brushed off criticism while listing other work: 48 restored monuments and 22 fountains, plus the removal of 1,000 graffiti sites. He also endorsed Trump's claim that vandals caused the pool's problems. Burgum did not answer directly when asked whether there was photographic evidence of vandals cutting the pool's liner, per the AP, saying only that those who damage federal property "should face the consequences."
The pool will have to be at least partially drained in the next week to finish the repairs, Burgum said. The work will not be opened up to new contractors, he said; the project were awarded to vendors with prior ties to Trump, avoiding the usual bidding process. "We'll use the same company, because they did a fantastic job," Burgum said. Although work remains, he said on ABC News' This Week that pool is "fixed in the sense that it's no longer leaking 45,000 gallons a day," adding, "So the Reflecting Pool has been a big success."
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