Green Algae and Floating “American Flag Blue” Paint Fuel Scrutiny of Reflecting Pool Contracts Awarded to Trump Allies

Controversy continues to surround the now complete restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where questions are mounting after Trump-connected companies Greenwater Services and Atlantic Industrial Coatings received federal contracts tied to the landmark's troubled renovation. The two contracts, worth about $2 million and $15 million when rounded, have drawn new scrutiny after the pool turned bright green with algae and pieces of the newly applied blue coating began peeling and floating on the water only days after the project was completed on June 3. The problems have raised questions about the division of labor between the contractors, the speed of the work and the effectiveness of a combined project that was supposed to leave the historic site repaired, waterproofed and visibly transformed ahead of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.

Greenwater Services, an Ohio-based company tied to the investment trust of John J. Cafaro, a prominent Trump donor and Mar-a-Lago neighbor, was hired for the water purification portion of the project. Its contract, valued at about $1.7 million, did not cover painting or waterproofing the basin. The company was tasked instead with installing ozone nanobubbler technology meant to reduce algae by attacking the conditions that allow it to grow. The contract has drawn attention because Greenwater had no known previous federal contracting history and had previously worked on a swimming pool at a Trump golf property. The algae's rapid return has placed that system under immediate scrutiny, even as federal officials have said the treatment is still operating and that the visible green water is part of a cleanup process.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings received the much larger contract connected to the basin itself. The Virginia-based company was hired to repair leaks in the concrete slabs, waterproof the structural foundation and apply the dark blue coating requested by Donald Trump. The color, officially described as «American Flag Blue», became a central feature of the project after the administration promoted the restoration as a visible improvement to the National Mall landmark. The company's contract was originally reported at a lower figure before the cost rose sharply, with federal records and public reporting placing the work at roughly $14.7 million. Its selection through an expedited no-bid process has fueled criticism, especially because Atlantic Industrial Coatings had also previously performed work at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

The restoration's public rollout changed quickly once the pool was refilled. Despite the new purification system, algae bloomed across the shallow water within days, turning the basin from blue to green and forcing National Park Service crews to intervene manually. Workers were seen scraping algae, collecting samples and using hydrogen peroxide treatments while the nanobubbler system remained part of the official response. A Department of the Interior spokesperson said the technology was «actively killing algae», and also said the hydrogen peroxide would have «no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment.» White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended the plan, saying that «under regular NPS maintenance, a high-tech nanobubble ozone technology will be deployed to kill the algae and keep the Reflecting Pool crystal clear.» The visible results, however, continued to draw public attention.

Trump had personally promoted the project shortly before the water returned to the basin. On Truth Social, he wrote: «Excitingly, the final coat of protection will be completed on the Reflecting Pool that sits between The Washington Monument and The Lincoln Memorial, at 4 P.M., today. The water will start flowing, shortly thereafter. The walking paths outside of the Pool will, likewise, be cleaned, sandblasted, and finished soon. This will be the first time since the day it was built, 1922, that it has worked, and worked wonderfully, indeed!» His public involvement has made the problems more politically sensitive, particularly after he had previously posted AI-generated images involving the pool, including one showing himself in the landmark with members of his Cabinet and another depicting Democratic political figures submerged in the water.

The controversy has now expanded beyond the algae and peeling blue material to the broader contracting process behind the restoration. Preservation advocates challenged the project in court, arguing that the administration moved forward without the review normally expected before altering a historic landmark. Senator Richard Blumenthal also questioned the Atlantic Industrial Coatings contract, writing that «The American people deserve to know whether excess taxpayer dollars are being used—without the authorization of Congress—to reward the President's preferred partners and desecrate national landmarks.» The Reflecting Pool has struggled with leaks and algae for decades, but the latest restoration has become a sharper political issue because of its no-bid contracts, Trump-linked contractors, high cost and rapid visible problems. As crews continue efforts to clear the water, scrutiny remains focused on whether the project delivered what taxpayers were promised.

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