Interior Department opens bid for upkeep of algae-troubled Lincoln Reflecting Pool
The U. S. Department of the Interior announced a request for bids to secure a contractor for the long-term upkeep of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D. C. , after a $14. 2 million renovation that was completed without competitive bidding. The Guardian reported that the renovation, funded under the Trump administration, involved repainting the pool’s floor a deep blue and sparked mixed reactions from visitors. The New York Times and Forbes later noted that algae reappeared within days, prompting interior-department officials to say a new water-treatment system would soon be deployed.
Subsequent reports from the Guardian, NBC News and NPR described a persistent green discoloration, paint peeling and continued algae blooms despite the installation of a nano-bubble ozone filtration system. CBS News identified a $1. 7 million no-bid contract awarded to Green Water Solutions, owned by Trump donor John J. Cafaro, for the ozone nanobubbler. CNN later confirmed that the system was being tested ahead of Independence Day celebrations, while officials maintained that the water was clear even as eyewitnesses reported murkiness. Finally, CNN reported that the Interior Department issued a solicitation for a contractor to handle daily maintenance and annual cleaning of the pool, citing the recent repairs and the ozone treatment installation as background. The bid request reflects the agency’s effort to address the ongoing algae and coating issues that emerged after the renovation.
