CBS News reports the water treatment firm is owned by a Trump political donor; the $1.71 million contract was awarded without competitive bidding as algae and budget concerns mount ahead of the 250th anniversary celebrations.

A view of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. An algae outbreak has emerged following renovation work carried out ahead of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations, fueling growing controversy. [Getty Images]
A view of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. An algae outbreak has emerged following renovation work carried out ahead of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations, fueling growing controversy. [Getty Images]

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

Washington's iconic Reflecting Pool — personally ordered renovated by President Donald Trump to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence — has become embroiled in a new controversy over a preferential contract, on top of an earlier algae outbreak.

CBS News reported Thursday that the company awarded the water purification contract for the Reflecting Pool is owned by a donor to Trump's political campaigns.

Federal contracting documents show that Green Water Solutions, an Ohio-based water management firm, secured a roughly $1.71 million (2.6 billion won) contract in April to install a water purification system without competitive public bidding.

The company says it uses technology that injects ozone-infused nanobubbles into water to eliminate algae and bacteria.

The issue is that the firm's owner, John J. Caparo, is a longtime political donor to Trump.

Caparo donated $250,000 to the Trump Victory fundraising committee during the 2020 presidential election and has also contributed to Republican candidates and conservative organizations.

The Caparos' home is reportedly located about 1.6 kilometers from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

The Reflecting Pool sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the United States.

Trump has taken a keen personal interest in the pool's renovation ahead of the nation's 250th founding anniversary. He reportedly went so far as to personally select the color of the pool's floor so it would resemble "American flag blue."

Temperatures in the Washington area have recently topped 30 degrees Celsius, however, upending those plans.

Algae spread rapidly across the surface, turning the would-be blue pool green, and American media outlets have raised persistent questions about budget waste and shoddy construction.

The Trump administration has deployed large crews to clear the algae before the July 4 Independence Day celebrations.

The latest reporting has expanded the controversy beyond a water management failure to encompass the contracting process itself.

Opposition politicians and civic groups are questioning the propriety of a contract awarded without open bidding. Critics have also charged that a flagship project meant to symbolize the 250th anniversary has been tainted by allegations of favoritism toward a political donor.

The Reflecting Pool, intended to be reborn as a centerpiece of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations, now finds itself at the center of an unexpected controversy over algae and no-bid contract allegations.


sjy@heraldcorp.com