By Marcelle Dibrell
Few coating projects have ever attracted the level of attention, criticism, and political debate generated by the recent renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, in Washington D.C. Work now complete and the basin refilled, the project has become one of the most closely watched coating applications in America.
When President Donald Trump announced plans to renovate the iconic Reflecting Pool, criticism followed almost immediately. Opponents questioned the project's cost, objected to the decision to color the basin blue, criticized the use of a “no-bid contract,” and accused the administration of bypassing normal historic-preservation review procedures.
Lost amid the political debate, however, was a basic question that surprisingly few people seemed to ask: What exactly is the Reflecting Pool being painted with?
The answer turns out to be considerably more complicated than paint.
According to Atlantic Industrial Coatings President Eddie Wood, 'the government chose the material that they wanted applied, which was polyurea, and from there they chose the manufacturer of that material, which was Rhino Linings.'
Court documents filed in federal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51bKmCWKVY0 litigation over the project confirm that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was coated with a multi-layer epoxy and polyurea waterproofing system more commonly associated with industrial infrastructure than decorative water features.
The Reflecting Pool is receiving what amounts to a giant spray-applied waterproof membrane system using Rhino products — not the spray-on truck bedliner familiar to most consumers, but an industrial-grade waterproofing system built around products from Rhino Linings, the company best known for its truck bedliner coatings.
According to National Park Service project documents, the project will 'install a polyurea liner on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to waterproof and protect the concrete pool surface.'
Those documents identify Rhino CCW polyurea, Rhino 11-35 polyurea, Rhino 406 epoxy primer, and Rhino Pipeliner 5000 as components of the specified coating system. Together, the products form a waterproofing system intended to extend the life of the existing basin without reconstructing it.
In other words, the Reflecting Pool is not simply receiving a coat of blue paint. It is receiving a commercial-grade waterproof lining system.
That distinction matters because the Reflecting Pool is no ordinary water feature.
Stretching approximately 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and holding roughly 6.75 million gallons of water, the basin has struggled with leaks and maintenance challenges for years. Federal records have documented chronic water loss, deteriorating expansion joints, aging infrastructure, and treatment-system deficiencies. Recent reports indicate the pool has required tens of millions of gallons of replacement water annually.
The blue appearance that has generated so much attention comes primarily from the epoxy component of the system. According to project documents, 'the Rhino 406 – epoxy primer will serve as the primary coating to provide the color (blue) for the new liner.'
That technical reality has largely been overshadowed by controversy.
Critics have questioned both the project's appearance and the process by which it was approved. Preservation advocates argue that the bright blue surface alters the historic character of one of the nation's most recognizable landscapes. The decision to use what President Trump has called 'American Flag Blue,' they argue, changes the visual relationship between the Reflecting Pool, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument.
The controversy extends well beyond aesthetics.
Critics have also raised concerns about the project's cost. President Trump initially described the work as a roughly $1.5 million to $2 million undertaking that could be completed in weeks. Contract records show that Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC of New Canton, Virginia, received a contract worth approximately $6.9 million, while subsequent reporting has placed total project costs in the range of $13 million to $15 million.
The procurement process has generated additional scrutiny. The project was awarded through a noncompetitive contract. Wood has characterized the award as a sole-source procurement rather than what critics have described as a no-bid contract. Supporters argue the expedited process was necessary to complete the work before America's 250th anniversary celebrations. Critics argue the approach limited competition and public oversight and relied on an emergency justification that they believe was unwarranted.
The dispute has moved into federal court.
On May 11, 2026, The Cultural Landscape Foundation — a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization focused on the preservation of historic landscapes and public spaces — and other plaintiffs filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, and federal officials.
The lawsuit alleges that the government failed to follow required historicpreservation procedures before moving forward with the project.
Notably, the plaintiffs do not argue that the Reflecting Pool should remain unrepaired. Rather, they contend that the project should have undergone a more extensive preservation review before work began.
The controversy is fueled in part by language contained in the National Park Service's own review document. The author wrote that consultation with the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office 'would probably result in non-concurrence' and acknowledged that significant consultation would likely have been required to reach agreement on a finding of 'No Adverse Effect.' The same document states that officials proceeded with a streamlined review process because of direction from National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and White House leadership, coupled with the project's accelerated timeline.
The government also argues that the project is consistent with the Reflecting Pool's historic design intent. According to project documents, historical records indicate that the original design included dark-colored materials intended to enhance reflection and create a greater sense of visual depth. The National Park Service also cited historical references indicating that black dye was once added to the water to improve reflective qualities.
Critics counter that dark reflective water and a bright blue basin are not the same thing. While the government argues that the project preserves the Reflecting Pool's reflective function, opponents argue that the blue coloration changes the appearance of one of the nation's most significant cultural landscapes.
President Trump has defended both the appearance and purpose of the renovation, arguing that the project addresses longstanding deterioration and leakage issues while improving the appearance of the landmark ahead of upcoming national celebrations.
For pool and spa professionals, however, the most interesting question may be neither political nor aesthetic.
It is whether the coating system will actually solve the Reflecting Pool's waterloss problems.
Federal officials have stated that deteriorated expansion joints were leaking approximately 16 million gallons of water annually. The challenge is that those joints must continue to accommodate movement as the concrete slabs expand and contract with changing temperatures. Rather than attempting to eliminate that movement, the project is designed to manage it.
Project documents describe repairing and replacing the joints, filling them with Rhino CCW polyurea, covering them with Rhino 11-35 polyurea, and then applying a continuous waterproof membrane across the basin. Polyurea is flexible and capable of stretching as the underlying concrete moves, which is one reason it is commonly used in reservoirs, containment structures, tanks, and other infrastructure applications.
Whether that approach eliminates most of the water loss remains an open question. The project documents focus primarily on rehabilitating the basin itself rather than a comprehensive reconstruction of all Reflecting Pool infrastructure. If a significant portion of the historic water loss originates outside the basin itself, a new liner may not completely eliminate the problem.
President Trump has expressed confidence in the outcome, stating that the new coating will 'last for 40 or 50 years' and that 'there'll be no leaks.'
From a technical perspective, that prediction could be realistic. Polyurea technology has become widely accepted in reservoirs, water tanks, wastewater facilities, pipelines, secondary containment structures, and infrastructure rehabilitation projects. It has also been used in certain aquatic applications, including splash pads, fountains, water features, waterparks, and pool-rehabilitation projects. However, it remains far more common in industrial waterproofing than as a primary finish for traditional swimming pools.
When properly installed over a properly prepared substrate, polyurea systems can provide decades of service while offering flexibility, crack-bridging capability, abrasion resistance, and excellent waterproofing performance.
Like any coating system, however, longterm success depends on workmanship, surface preparation, adhesion, substrate movement, and ongoing maintenance.
As this article went to press, the coating installation had been completed and the Reflecting Pool was being refilled. The ultimate test of the system, however, will occur over the coming months and years as officials evaluate whether the new membrane successfully reduces the chronic leakage that has plagued the basin.
The controversy surrounding the Reflecting Pool has focused on color, politics, cost, and process. Yet years from now, none of those debates may matter as much as a simpler question familiar to every pool professional: Did it stop the leaks?
