Trump’s DC beautification push navigates troubled waters
DC’s Historic Fountain Faces Turbid Waters Amid Trump’s Beautification Campaign
Meridian Hill Park’s Rust-Colored Reservoirs Spark Conversation
Trump s DC beautification push navigates – Washington, DC’s beloved Meridian Hill Park has found itself at the center of attention once again, this time due to the unusual appearance of its cascading fountain. Just weeks after being celebrated as a success story in President Donald Trump’s urban renewal efforts, the historic 13-basin fountain now displays a murky, rust-orange tint across its reservoirs. The transformation has caught the eye of both locals and visitors alike, though many remain optimistic about the situation.
The fountain had remained dry for seven long years before the Trump administration invested $4 million in repairs and reopened it in May. The renovation proved immediately popular, with residents flocking to the park during evening hours. People gathered on the stone steps surrounding the fountain, enjoying picnics and reading sessions in the restored setting. However, this week’s observations revealed a brown color gradually overtaking the water basins.
“It looks like mud,” said James Langan, a New York resident visiting DC.
This fixture represents one of nine fountains being restored to operation under Trump’s March 2025 executive order. That directive aimed to make the nation’s capital “safe and beautiful” while coinciding with preparations for the United States’ 250th anniversary. When CNN crews visited all nine fountains scattered throughout DC this week, only one appeared completely inoperable, while two displayed brown-colored water.
Officials Explain the Discoloration
The Interior Department provided clarification on Tuesday evening, explaining that the brown water at Meridian Hill Park resulted from sediment stirred up during the reopening of two water lines that had been out of service for an extended period. Officials noted they expected the water to run clear within the next 24 to 36 hours. CNN observers saw workers actively cleaning the cascading basins on Wednesday, following considerable social media discussion about the browning phenomenon.
“Whenever I’d like come here before, I was kind of disappointed that the water was never on, and it was kind of like overrun with trash,” Washington, DC, resident Jedi Sworobuk told CNN. “I think it’s nice to have, especially in the heat in the summer.”
By Saturday, the pools remained murky but showed less orange coloring. The Interior Department did not issue a response to a Saturday request for comment regarding the Meridian Hill fountain’s condition, nor did they address the status of fountains at the General Philip Sheridan statue in Sheridan Circle, which had been inactive.
Part of a Broader Beautification Movement
The Meridian Hill Park situation follows closely on the heels of the Reflecting Pool saga, which dominated Washington conversations recently. After Trump announced the pool’s renovation in April, the project exceeding $14 million underwent a cycle of draining, painting, filling, and peeling. Trump claimed vandals damaged the pool’s lining, and in recent weeks, at least three individuals faced charges for destruction of property after allegedly removing sections of blue paint. A former Olympian canoeist named David Hearn also received an indictment on similar allegations and has pleaded not guilty.
“It looks pretty gross,” McKenna said, laughing.
Alexandra McKenna, a London resident who traveled to DC and made the park part of her itinerary, expressed her reaction to the fountain’s current state. She pointed toward the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has similarly generated headlines recently, noting that the discoloration appears to be “a thing going on in Washington at the moment.”
During a May Cabinet meeting, Trump stated that most of the fountains were either in their final stages of repair or already fixed. In his July Fourth address delivered on the National Mall, the president declared the city “safe, gleaming, and beautiful again,” even as some beautification initiatives, including the Reflecting Pool, continued their work. The National Park Service emphasized that restoration and rehabilitation of historic landscapes would proceed in phases, acknowledging that the public might encounter closures or limited access at certain locations during this period of improvement.
