The National Park Service will drain and clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after the death of approximately 80 ducks. The ducks' death occurred because of a water-borne parasite.
The sanitizing process will start on Sunday, June 11, where the National Park Services would be cleaning and treating the pool for the water-borne parasite, which negatively impacted the duck population residing in the pool. The iconic pool will be refilled and become functional in a week.
"The National Park Service will drain the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool starting Sunday, June 11 for cleaning and treatment of a water-borne parasite that has affected the local duck population. The pool should be refilled and operational again on Monday, June 19," the authorities revealed.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool To Be Drained
From May 20 and May 21, up until now, authorities found that nearly 80 ducks succumbed to death in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The National Park Services revealed that the post-mortem the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center conducted on the dead ducks determined water-borne parasites, which grow and develop inside the snails that live in the pool, to be the culprits.
The draining and decontamination of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is necessary as only chemical treatments are not sufficient to eradicate the parasites. Apart from affecting the ducks, the water-borne parasite can also harmfully affect humans, who come in contact with the microscopic organism.
Humans can develop a condition called "swimmer's itch" also known as cercarial dermatitis, which is an allergic reaction that appears as a skin rash. This condition is not grave or contagious and seldom requires a doctor's intervention.
The parasite is not as deadly for humans as it is for the ducks. One can contract the water-borne parasite only if they maintain continuous contact with the contaminated water through actions such as wading and swimming.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Decontamination Process
Approximately two days will be needed to completely drain the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool before the crew from National Park Services start the cleaning and decontamination process. The cleaning process will not start before Tuesday, June 13. The crew will begin tidying the pool from the bottom and gradually move upward.
The crew will use pumpers, skid steers, sprayers, and water trucks to clean the pool. By Friday, June 16, the crew will start to refill the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. However, even after the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's decontamination process is complete, the National Park Service will continue to keep an eye on its water quality.
