Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images News / Getty Images
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was partially refilled on Friday as the National Park Service (NPS) began flushing clogged pipes, blaming the problem on "years of neglect by previous administrations." The move comes after months of complications tied to President Donald Trump’s high-profile $16 million renovation project, which focused on repainting and updating the pool but left the old piping untouched.
A sign posted by the NPS at the Reflecting Pool stated that more than half of its 58 supply ports were "deemed nonfunctioning" due to buildup. The agency said the flushing process might temporarily discolor the water as debris is cleared out. Leaks and cracks have long affected the pool, with previous efforts—including a $35 million upgrade under President Barack Obama—failing to fully resolve the issue.
President Trump has repeatedly blamed ongoing trouble with the pool on earlier renovations, calling the historic site "filthy dirty" and focusing criticism on the pipes installed during the Obama-era project. In April, he announced his own renovation plan, which included a new blue liner and filtration system but did not address the underlying piping problems. The Trump administration has also pointed to vandalism as a cause for recent damage, though the NPS and Department of Interior have consistently cited maintenance issues as the primary culprit.
Problems with the pool escalated in June and July, when algae blooms turned the water green and the new liner began peeling. Several visitors, including former Olympian David Hearn, were charged with vandalism after allegedly damaging the pool, but U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped the highest-profile charges last week. In a detailed court filing, Pirro explained that internal documents proved the liner was already failing before any alleged tampering, describing the renovation as "hasty" and "botched." All charges have now been dismissed, and Hearn’s legal team is seeking to ensure the case cannot be revived.
As repairs continue, the Reflecting Pool remains fenced off. The NPS says it will monitor water quality and the effectiveness of pipe flushing. President Trump continues to defend the renovation, while critics and officials debate the best long-term fix for one of Washington, D.C.'s most visited landmarks.