Washington’s Reflecting Pool is showing new problems less than two weeks after a $14 million renovation, according to multiple reports. Both outlets say paint is peeling from the bottom of the pool and that algae is growing, leaving the water visibly green. ABC News describes the paint as “American Flag Blue” and reports that it is coming off where it has been applied. Al Jazeera reports that paint is peeling and algae is blooming soon after the work was completed. The accounts raise questions about the quality and durability of the renovation materials and how quickly the pool’s surface is deteriorating.
The renovation is described as costing $14 million, and the timing is a central point of the reports: the issues appear within days to two weeks of the refurbishment. Neither outlet indicates that repairs have been completed or provides definitive explanations for the failure, focusing instead on what observers can see at the site—peeling paint and algae growth soon after reopening.
