Amid increased attention on the Trump administration’s $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a $1.7 million contract was awarded to Green Water Solutions, an Ohio-based company. This contract, issued without competitive bidding, is for the installation of a “Nano Bubble” filtration system to address ongoing issues like algae.
Federal contracting records indicate that the JJ Cafaro Investment Trust, controlled by John J Cafaro, owns Green Water Solutions. Cafaro has a history of political donations to Republican candidates and conservative groups, including those affiliated with Trump. He has also contributed to some Democratic candidates in the past.
Cafaro, a businessman and real estate developer, has previously pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and to conspiring to bribe a former Congressman. Records also show he owns property in Palm Beach, Florida, near President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Green Water Solutions has prior experience with a property linked to the Trump Organization, having performed water treatment work on a pond at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The contract was awarded under an emergency contracting rule due to “unusual and compelling urgency,” with the government citing the need for completion before the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations and the specialized nature of the Nano Bubble technology with limited suppliers.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated that the Department of the Interior awarded the contract and the White House was not involved in the company selection. John J Cafaro told local media that President Trump was unaware of his company’s involvement in the Reflecting Pool project and that he would not discuss such matters with the President to avoid creating an uncomfortable situation.
Separately, a $14.7 million no-bid contract was awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the pool’s sealant. Problems surfaced shortly after the pool was refilled, with algae appearing and parts of the new surface showing signs of peeling. An Interior Department spokesperson attributed the algae to residual matter in the water supply lines, characterizing it as a normal part of the startup process. The department later announced that the Nano Bubble system had successfully eliminated the algae. Crews were observed cleaning the pool and adding hydrogen peroxide as part of the cleanup efforts.
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