Problems plague Washington’s reflecting pool

[00:00:01]Yes, it really is that green and no, it's not supposed to be.

[00:00:05]>> When I think reflection pool, I definitely don't think green. So, I definitely think like a bright blue or something.

[00:00:11]>> Two weeks after it was refilled, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is going through some things. It's brand new $14 million blue coating, a color personally picked by President Donald Trump, is obscured by bright green algae.

[00:00:25]>> Does it look like American flag blue to you?

[00:00:28]>> No.

[00:00:28]>> What color is it?

[00:00:29]>> Slimey green.

[00:00:31]>> The US Interior Department claims the Reflecting Pool water is crystal clear, even as crews work frantically to scrub the bottom. They've tried adding hydrogen peroxide and they've installed an ozone bubbler. The algae seems to have the upper hand. You can actually see it from space.

[00:00:49]>> Oh, it's it's beautiful as you can see.

[00:00:51]I mean, it speaks for itself how awesome this turned out.

[00:00:53]>> And if the algae isn't bad enough, there seems to be another problem lurking underneath it. Take a look at that. That is that expensive brand new lining and yes, it's already peeling off the bottom.

[00:01:03]>> The water isn't the only thing that's murky. Two multi-million dollar contracts for repainting and a filtration system were handed to businesses with reported connections to Trump, including a company called Green Water Services.

[00:01:18]>> Well, the issue's not the algae. The issue is the no-bid contract, right?

[00:01:24]To me, that's it's just un-American.

[00:01:26]>> Even if it's cleaned up by 4th of July celebrations, it may be hard to escape the impression this was all a monumental mistake.

[00:01:34]>> I think it's a lot of taxpayer money for nothing.

[00:01:38]>> Lost on few is the irony. Donald Trump vowed to drain the swamp and may have accidentally built one instead.

[00:01:46]Jackson Proskow, Global News, Washington.