Trump’s Reflecting Pool project hit by new setback as NPS reveals clogged pipes amid costly repairs
President Donald Trump’s troubled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool project has run into a fresh issue, with the National Park Service (NPS) partially refilling the iconic Washington landmark to flush its ageing piping system.
Signs posted around the Reflecting Pool said the partial refill was necessary to allow NPS staff and contractors to clean the pipes, reportedly for the first time in more than a decade. The update comes after months of work on the landmark and renewed scrutiny of the project.
“The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been partially refilled to allow National Park Service staff and contractors to flush the pool’s piping system for the first time in more than a decade,” the notice said.
More than half of Reflecting Pool’s water ports found clogged
The NPS and US Department of the Interior also revealed that more than half of the pool’s 58 water supply ports were considered nonfunctioning because they were clogged.
“After years of neglect by previous administrations, more than half of the 58 water supply ports were so clogged that they were deemed nonfunctioning,” the sign said. It warned that flushing could temporarily discolor the water as buildup inside the pipes is removed.
The latest development adds another complication to a project that has already drawn attention over its cost and execution. Trump had promoted the Reflecting Pool work as part of his efforts to improve Washington, DC.
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The new NPS notice does not indicate that the clogged pipes were caused by the recent project. Instead, it attributes the condition to years of neglect by previous administrations.
Trump’s $14.7 million Reflecting Pool contract
In April, Trump said he had consulted three firms with experience working on swimming pools at his properties before selecting Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings. The company received a $14.7 million no-bid contract to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor, according to the report.
Trump has since sought to distance himself from the contractor. He said Monday, “I didn’t know the contractor,” while also suggesting he was not completely satisfied with the work undertaken to have the pool ready for Independence Day.
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The Reflecting Pool has also become the center of a dispute over alleged vandalism. Charges against former Olympian David Hearn were dropped after prosecutors determined that damage to the pool was linked to construction issues rather than vandalism.
Trump strongly criticized US Attorney Jeanine Pirro over the decision. “Frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious,” he said, later adding, “I was disappointed with Jeanine Pirro, really disappointed. She folded like an umbrella.”