Sequestration isn’t slowing down the annual tradition of dyeing the White House fountain green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
“Presidential motorcade departed the White House at 3:58 pm, destination unknown. The water fountain on the south lawn is spouting green water on this St. Patrick’s Day,” according to a White House pool report Sunday.
Though the White tweeted an image of the fountain dyed green from 2011, Associated Press photojournalist Charles Dharapak captured the fountain Sunday.
“The current south fountain of the White House has several jets of water,” according to whitehousemuseum.org.
The fountain was built in 1865 and remains a decorative fixture of the White House lawn.
It is unclear how much the White House spent to dye the fountain’s water green. The website poolcenter.com explains that one bottle of emerald green “Party Pool” dye can give an entire 20,000-gallon swimming pool a festive green appearance for St. Patrick’s Day. One bottle of emerald green “Party Pool” dye costs $7.99 online. The same product ordered off Amazon could run $9.99.
The White canceled all public tours, effective March 9, citing “staffing reductions resulting from sequestration.”