Interior Secretary Says Reflecting Pool Repairs Will Cost a Small Additional Amount

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Sunday that additional repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will cost only a small amount beyond the current total. The project started in April and has already reached more than $16 million, which is $4 million above the original no-bid contract. Officials have described the work as a priority ahead of the country's 250th anniversary events.

Burgum told ABC News' "This Week" that the pool no longer leaks 45,000 gallons a day and that less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the industrial liner remains damaged. He attributed the remaining damage to vandals and said more cameras have been installed at the site.

The secretary added that the initial renovation was completed for a fraction of the cost of past projects. He said the majority of expenses covered labor, liner materials, and a new nanobubbler system intended to reduce algae.

Burgum stated that the remaining liner damage consists of multiple gashes totaling 350 feet. He said the additional fixes will be completed in the coming weeks. "It's going to be a small number, because the majority of the work was related to the labor and the materials for the liner, and of course, the new nanobubbler system," Burgum said.