We don’t know the specifics here, but yes, engineers should have designed and approved the plans and specifications. Those engineers should have been available throughout construction to address possible issues. But given how fast they started doing this, and now seeing the results, I don’t think that happened.

That said, for the amount of money they received, they should have had sub contractors who aren’t painters, but are maybe more experts on plumbing, or algae reduction, etc.

In a real capital project, where everyone involved actually gives a fuck about the outcome and the quality of work, there would have been ongoing discussions between the contractor and the design engineers to make sure that the final product isn’t riddled with these stupid, foreseeable, problems.

But yeah, don’t think that happened. And it’s not because they didn’t have the budget.

If I worked for the federal government, and was tasked with rubber stamping this bullshit, I would have said “go fuck yourself, fire me.”

Everyone involved in letting this happen should be ashamed of themselves.