Trump Administration's Algae Battle: New Strategy With Hydrogen Peroxide
WHO:
CNN - President Donald Trump
CNN - Department of Interior
CNN - Eddie Wood, of Atlantic Industrial Coatings
CNN - Greenwater Services, an Ohio company
WHAT:
ABC News - The renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool cost at least $14.8 million.
ABC News - The pool has turned chartreuse due to an algal bloom.
Wired - The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is larger than 10 Olympic-sized pools.
Wired - The pool's bottom was painted "American flag blue."
CNN - The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation cost over $13 million.
CNN - The Reflecting Pool was refilled with 6.5 million gallons of clean water.
CNN - Crews have been sent to vacuum algae and dump hydrogen peroxide into the pool.
CNN - The pool has turned a murky shade of green despite cleanup efforts.
CNN - A worker stated it would take “an entire lifetime” to clean the pool.
CNN - The Department of Interior claims the “ozone nanobubbler” technology is installed and operational.
CNN - The Department of Interior spokesperson stated that the nanobubbler technology has successfully destroyed the algae bloom.
CNN - Hydrogen peroxide is being used as a “milder treatment” for algae.
WHERE:
CNN - Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
CNN - The renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was completed just over a week ago.
Wired - National Park Service workers are trying to kill the algae ahead of July 4 celebrations.
WHY:
CNN - The algae problem has haunted administrations for decades, prompting the current cleanup efforts.
HOW:
Wired - Workers used a swimming pool-type vacuum cleaner to remove algae from the bottom of the pool.
CNN - The algae is being treated with hydrogen peroxide and the “ozone nanobubbler” technology.
CNN - Greenwater Services claims to provide a water purification system that reduces toxins, algae, microcystins, nitrates, and phosphates from contaminated water.
(UPDATED June 17, 2026 01:49 UTC)
The renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has cost at least $14.8 million, and it has recently turned chartreuse due to an algal bloom. This impressive pool is larger than ten Olympic-sized pools and features a bottom painted in a striking "American flag blue." To tackle the algae issue, workers employed a swimming pool-type vacuum cleaner to clean the bottom of the pool.
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(UPDATED June 16, 2026 20:12 UTC)
President Trump announced that the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. has cost over $13 million, with crews currently battling a persistent algae problem that has turned the water a murky shade of green. Despite the installation of the "ozone nanobubbler" technology and the use of hydrogen peroxide as a milder treatment, a worker noted that it would take “an entire lifetime” to fully clean the pool. As the National Park Service works to eliminate the algae ahead of the upcoming July 4 celebrations, the algae issue continues to challenge administrations, prompting these extensive cleanup efforts.