Laughter as workers put peroxide in algae-filled Reflecting Pool': '0 scientists in admin' [View all]

Source: Raw Story

June 16, 2026 9:35AM ET


Workers were spotted dumping hydrogen peroxide by the gallon into the Reflecting Pool days after President Donald Trump's $14.2 million renovation turned it green.

CBS News journalist Bob Kovach was on the ground at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Tuesday morning. He posted a video of gallon jugs labeled "hydrogen peroxide" lined up at the water's edge, with workers kneeling beside them and pouring the chemical straight in. The pool, which Trump had painted "American flag blue" and refilled just 12 days ago, has since turned a mossy green.

Anonymous, an X account with 7.5 million followers, posted its own video of the scene. "'They're literally dumping hydrogen peroxide into the reflecting pool this morning,'" the account wrote.

Trump originally pitched the project as a one-week, $1.5 to $2 million job. It ballooned into a $14.2 million no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings — and algae appeared within days of the water being returned. A pool renovation expert had seen it coming. Canadian specialist Steve Goodale, known as "Swimming Pool Steve," warned the Washingtonian that darker paint absorbs more sunlight, raises water temperature, and makes algae blooms inevitable.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/reflecting-pool-hydrogen-peroxide/

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As a note - I am using this source because others are calling "peroxide", "household bleach" in their headlines, and it IS NOT. "Common household bleach" (like Clorox) is usually some diluted concentration of sodium hypochlorite. But peroxide CAN be used as a "bleach" (strong oxidizer) for something like hair, when concentrated. IMHO, adding that to the water will oxygenate it more, and if they are trying to strip the green color of chlorophyll from the algae, they probably need a drum of it for all that water, and the stuff would eventually die and sink to the bottom, making more of a mess.