The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. is facing issues after a recent renovation. A blue material is peeling off the bottom of the pool, just days after it was refilled. The renovation, which was ordered by President Donald Trump, included painting the bottom of the pool a color referred to as ‘American flag blue.’ The issue is the latest to plague the iconic body of water, which has served as the centerpiece of the National Mall for decades.

Renovation History

The pool has experienced issues with algae and leaks for many years, with various presidential administrations attempting to address the problems. In 2012, President Barack Obama’s administration spent $34 million on an 18-month renovation of the pool, which was meant to address ongoing issues with algae blooms. However, shortly after that renovation was completed, the pool again became a murky, smelly mess, filled with algae, bird waste, and dead ducks.

The recent renovation, which was initially estimated to cost $1.8 million, has now cost $14.7 million, according to a contract summary of the Interior Department’s award to Atlantic Industrial Coatings. Despite the costly renovation, the pool is still experiencing issues, with algae again discoloring the water. Workers have been seen pouring jugs of hydrogen peroxide into the pool and deploying ‘advanced nanobubbler technology’ in an effort to remediate the discoloration.

Expert Opinion

Tim Auerhahn, a pool infrastructure expert and the chairman of the Aquatic Council, said it’s difficult to tell from videos what was causing the ‘apparent delamination’ of the blue material. ‘A coating system can fail for several reasons, including substrate preparation, surface contamination, application conditions, adhesion issues, product selection, mechanical damage, environmental exposure, or a combination of factors,’ Auerhahn said.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.