The National Mall’s reflecting pools stand to benefit the most from a restoration plan signed off on Tuesday.
Under the National Mall Plan, the reflecting pools at the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol will no longer be home to algae and filthy water. They’re slated to get circulating water systems that will filter and recycle water.
The new system will “keep them clean and accessible,” said Molly Wade, spokeswoman for the Trust for the National Mall. That will reduce debris in the reflecting pools, keeping the water cleaner.
The overall plan aims to restore the Mall by enhancing monument preservation, visitor amenities, pedestrian movement and other items.
Other parts of the plan, signed by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis on Tuesday, focus on environmental improvements.
Elements designed to help the environment around the Mall include a dust-abatement program to improve air quality, better monitoring of vegetation disturbance, restoration of elm trees, minimizing water pollution from construction and parking areas, and examining and improving soil conditions.
Officials also introduced a recycling program through a partnership with Coca-Cola.
The company is donating 320 recycling bins as well as two recycling trailers and an additional 400 bins to be used during special events.
