Burgum Says Lincoln Reflecting Pool Leak Fix Passed Tests, as 16 Million Gallons Still Escape Yearly
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Burgum Says Lincoln Reflecting Pool Leak Fix Passed Tests, as 16 Million Gallons Still Escape Yearly
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Doug Burgum said Thursday that contractors successfully tested a fix for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s leaking expansion joints and would seal them within days, six days after the project’s original May 22 deadline.
16 million gallons leak from the pool each year through failed joints, according to Interior, and the Trump administration has awarded a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings to plug the gaps with foam and sealant.
$1.7 million is also being spent on an upgraded ozone system to fight algae, but the current renovation still does not address the pool’s leaking 12-inch supply and return pipes.
Those pipe failures can disconnect the four-million-gallon pool from its filtration plant for weeks, leaving stagnant water that experts say could turn green again even after the new waterproofing is finished.
Is the $13 million 'fix' a permanent solution or just an expensive paint job for an anniversary?
Will the new blue sealant solve the pool's chronic leaks or just hide the green algae?
How will the pool's new blue color affect its iconic, mirror-like reflection of monuments?