Algae and tear mar Trump's Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs

President Trump's effort to fix the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ran into trouble this week when algae turned the water fluorescent green and a tear appeared in the blue sealant he selected.

The century-old pool has long suffered leaks, algae growth and plumbing problems. In April, Mr. Trump began a project to address what he called its "terrible" condition as part of broader spring cleaning work in Washington ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.

He ordered the stone floor coated with a sealant he described as the "latest and greatest filament" and an industrial-grade pool liner. He told reporters he personally picked the color, "American Flag Blue." Federal contracts for the work exceeded $14 million.

Several days after water was returned to the pool, a layer of green algae appeared. A Department of the Interior spokesperson told CBS News the outbreak was "part of the normal startup process" and would be removed soon.

"What you are seeing is residual algae from the supply lines which have been sitting dormant for eight weeks while construction has been taking place," the spokesperson said. "President Donald J. Trump is an expert builder who has fixed the Reflecting Pool for good unlike the failed and extremely costly attempt by Obama and Biden."

Workers removed algae in recent days, and on Tuesday morning crews added hydrogen peroxide to the water. On Wednesday the department posted on social media that the water was now "crystal clear" and crews were "vacuuming up the dead algae." It said the agency is now using a "nanobubbler" to keep algae from returning.

On Thursday a tear appeared in part of the new floor material. CBS News asked the Department of the Interior for comment.

In a Truth Social post Friday night, Mr. Trump said vandals had "destroyed the grass outside of the Pool" three days earlier and had "also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed." He added that "[t]he algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week."

The current work is the second major overhaul of the pool in less than 20 years. A project early in the Obama administration cost more than $30 million. Algae blooms continued after that work, and the pool still had to be drained periodically to remove algae, goose droppings and debris.

Mr. Trump said in April he wanted the pool "beautiful" and "the way it's supposed to be." While the sealant was being installed, he rode his motorcade onto the empty floor, which is roughly the length of 12 Olympic-sized pools, to inspect the work.

The Reflecting Pool project is one of several renovations the Trump administration has started in Washington. The team has repaired city fountains, removed the White House East Wing for a new ballroom, tried to close the Kennedy Center for repairs, and planned a large triumphal arch across the river in Virginia.

Mr. Trump has shown personal interest in the projects, displaying mock-ups and discussing the plans at White House events. The administration has described the work as necessary to restore national landmarks it says were neglected for years.