A recent renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. has encountered issues, with blue material peeling off the bottom of the pool just days after its completion. The pool was repainted blue and refilled as part of a multi-million dollar renovation ordered by President Donald Trump.
Renovation Background
The Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the issue. The renovation was initially estimated to cost $1.8 million but has since risen to $14.7 million, according to a contract summary of the Interior Department’s award to Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
Eddie Wood, the owner of Atlantic Industrial Coatings, stated that the images of the peeling material do not provide enough information to determine the cause of the issue. Tim Auerhahn, a pool infrastructure expert, noted that a coating system can fail for several reasons, including substrate preparation, surface contamination, and application conditions.
Previous Issues
The Reflecting Pool has experienced issues with algae and leaks in the past, with President Barack Obama’s administration spending $34 million on an 18-month renovation in 2012. However, the pool again became a murky, smelly mess shortly after the renovation was completed.
The current renovation is part of President Trump’s efforts to ‘beautify’ Washington, D.C., which also include plans to build a ballroom at the East Wing of the White House and a ‘National Garden of American Heroes’ with 250 lifelike statues of prominent Americans.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
