WASHINGTON, D.C. — Authorities began draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Sunday, July 5, 2026, as part of planned repairs following the July 4 fireworks display. This marks the second time the pool has been drained in three months.

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the draining is proceeding as planned and that some fireworks debris remained in the water. "Drain the water. Clean up the fireworks debris. Repair the damage caused by vandalism. Refill it," Burgum said. As of Tuesday night, water remained in the pool, and it was unclear if a complete draining would occur; Burgum indicated over the weekend that a partial draining might be sufficient.

The Trump administration has stated that vandals damaged the reflecting pool by cracking its lining. The administration has not presented evidence supporting this claim. In late June, the president announced that the pool would be drained after the July 4 holiday for repairs.

The administration plans to employ Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based contractor, for this round of repairs. The company previously received a no-bid contract exceeding $14 million for earlier work, which involved sealing the pool and painting its bottom blue. Eddie Gross, owner of Atlantic Industrial Coatings, declined to answer questions about his contract and the cost of additional repairs, stating, "There is nothing defined yet." Burgum said the cost "will be a small figure because most of the work was related to labor and materials for the lining." He added, "We will continue to use the same company, because they did a fantastic job."

Burgum denied that damage occurred when Trump's motorcade crossed the pool during renovation in May. "No, I was with him when we arrived that night... We were in a Cadillac Escalade. It is one of the vehicles in the presidential fleet," Burgum said. He stated the vehicle was "considerably lighter" than the armored presidential limousine known as "The Beast." Burgum said the government can "absolutely" prove the damage was caused by vandals, citing photographic evidence, though he declined to specify whether the photographs show individuals actively damaging the pool. "The industrial rubber base coat had not yet been finished, so there was no damage that night," he said regarding the motorcade crossing. The Department of the Interior did not respond to questions regarding the timeline for the current repairs. Greenwater Services stated that draining the pool would not affect its fully operational system, and Chas Antinone, president of Greenwater Services, said the ozone nanobubbler system can be turned off and on as needed.