U.S. Funds Used for Upgrading Foreign Embassy Pools

An analysis reveals that over $1.2 million in taxpayer money has been allocated for upgrades to swimming pools and related facilities at U.S. embassies and mission residences in various countries. During the current administration’s term, at least 14 procurement orders related to pools have been made across seven nations, including Russia, even after its invasion of Ukraine.

Most expenditures pertain to refurbishing existing pools, with costs sometimes reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. For instance, in Zimbabwe, the State Department approved an upgrade costing more than $130,000 to install pool covers at the U.S. mission in Harare.

Additional examples include a nearly $444,000 investment to upgrade the dehumidification system at the Baghdad Embassy, a facility that cost over $750 million to build. Furthermore, in Moscow, approximately $40,000 was spent in 2022 for a sewer pump replacement for the embassy’s pool, with the work completed shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The report notes that some projects remain incomplete; for example, a $173,000 contract for a swimming pool project in a foreign country has not yet been paid.

Overall, the analysis identified multiple pool upgrades: two in Haiti, one in Russia, five in Iraq, three in Sudan, and one each in Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Indonesia. Critics argue that these expenditures are wasteful, especially in nations facing economic hardship and conflict.