Trump’s $14M Reflecting Pool turns green days after reopening as admin blames Obama

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's newly renovated Reflecting Pool turned green again within days of reopening, putting fresh attention on his promise to permanently solve the landmark’s long-running algae problem.

The Trump administration quickly defended the project. Officials argued the algae issue stems from a decades-old problem and pointed to failures that persisted after an Obama-era renovation.

Trump officials defend green Reflecting Pool

A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior insisted the National Park Service was actively maintaining the pool despite its murky appearance.

“Versus previous administrations, the National Park Service is actually maintaining the beautifully completed Reflecting Pool,” the spokesperson told the New York Post.

The administration argued that new filtration technology was already working. According to the spokesperson, “The nanobubbler technology has successfully destroyed the algae bloom that has plagued every pool reopening since 1922, most infamously, the Obama pool reopening that resulted in massive algae clumps taking over the pool’s surface.”

The official added that the algae seen in the water was no longer thriving.

“Now, due to deploying the advanced nanobubbler technology, the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak,” the spokesperson said. “We thank President Trump for fixing the Reflecting Pool for good.”

The administration spent $14 million on the project, including roughly $1.7 million for an upgraded ozone nanobubbler filtration system designed to reduce algae growth by dispersing tiny oxygen bubbles.

National Park Service calls algae return normal

The National Park Service initially offered a separate explanation for the green water.

According to a spokesperson cited by CNN, dormant algae remained inside the pipes while the pool sat empty during construction and returned after the basin was refilled.

“It’s part of the normal startup process,” the spokesperson said.

The agency also maintained that cleanup efforts were underway.

“We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae-free,” the spokesperson said.

Despite those assurances, observers noted that the green algae remained visible through the weekend, keeping attention focused on whether the renovation delivered the immediate results Trump had promised.

Obama-era repairs remain part of dispute

The administration repeatedly contrasted its work with a $34 million renovation completed during former President Barack Obama’s administration.

That project upgraded the Reflecting Pool’s piping and filtration systems and was intended to address both algae growth and leaks. According to the report, both problems later returned.

Trump has frequently criticized the pool’s previous condition, describing it as “disgusting,” “filthy,” and “dirty”. He also said he rejected a proposed $300 million overhaul that would have replaced the pool’s bottom with stone.

Instead, his administration sealed the concrete bottom and added what Trump described as an “American flag” blue coating.

Officials say a major objective was stopping leaks that previously caused the pool to lose about 16 million gallons of water annually.

The Interior Department said repairs to the pipes that circulate roughly four million gallons of water every three days are still planned for the fall, leaving questions about whether the broader algae problem has truly been resolved.