The federal government awarded a $1.7 million no-bid contract to Green Water Solutions in April 2025 to install a new filtration system for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The company, owned by a trust linked to donor John J. Cafaro, was selected due to what officials termed “unusual and compelling urgency” ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday.
Contracting and the Role of Green Water Solutions
The Department of the Interior bypassed standard competitive bidding to hire the Ohio-based company, citing the need to replace “the existing, failing filtration infrastructure” at the Reflecting Pool. According to CBS News, the government justified the no-bid award by describing the company’s technology as a “highly specialized and niche technology with limited domestic suppliers.”
Federal procurement regulations generally require agencies to engage in “full and open competition” for government contracts to ensure the best value for taxpayers and to prevent favoritism. However, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) allows for “other than full and open competition” under specific, narrow circumstances, such as when a requirement is of such an unusual and compelling urgency that the government would be seriously injured if the agency were to comply with the time-consuming standard bidding process. By invoking this justification, the Interior Department was able to expedite the engagement with Green Water Solutions without a prolonged solicitation period.
Federal records identify the owner of Green Water Solutions as the “JJ Cafaro Investment Trust.” FEC filings show that John J. Cafaro, the trust’s CEO, has a history of political donations to both GOP and Democratic candidates, including $250,000 to the Trump Victory fundraising committee in 2020. The company’s LinkedIn page previously featured images of water treatment work performed at the president’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Algae Blooms and Ongoing Pool Maintenance
The Reflecting Pool has struggled with persistent algae growth, a problem that has drawn personal attention from the president. Reports indicate that the president visited the site to discuss the overhaul and personally selected the color for an industrial-grade sealant applied to the pool floor, which he dubbed “American Flag Blue.”
Despite the installation of the new system, recent scientific testing suggests the pool’s environmental challenges remain complex. The Atlantic reported that while workers have successfully reduced some forms of algae using hydrogen peroxide, other, more aggressive species—such as the green algae genus Scenedesmus—have begun to flourish in the treated water. Greg Boyer, a professor emeritus of biochemistry at the State University of New York, noted that he has “never seen it bloom quite this thick.”
The maintenance of the Reflecting Pool is a massive logistical undertaking. The basin holds approximately 6.75 million gallons of water and spans roughly 300,000 square feet. Because it is an open-air, shallow system, it is highly susceptible to sunlight exposure and nutrient runoff, which provide the ideal conditions for rapid biological growth. Historically, the National Park Service has utilized a mix of chemical treatments and mechanical circulation to manage water clarity, but the aging infrastructure has frequently struggled to keep pace with the environmental demands of the D.C. climate.
Transparency and Public Safety Concerns
Questions regarding the safety of the water have persisted as the pool remains a high-traffic area for tourists and wildlife. While an Interior Department spokesperson stated that “there is ongoing water testing happening,” the agency has not disclosed specific results to the public. Scientists attempting to conduct independent testing have reported difficulty obtaining the necessary permits to access the water.
The project follows a previous $1 million contract awarded to Green Water Solutions in 2025 for a feasibility study regarding sewage treatment in the Tijuana River. Regarding his involvement in the Reflecting Pool project, John J. Cafaro has not responded to inquiries, and the company has directed requests for comment to the National Park Service.
“This contract was awarded by the Department of Interior; the White House did not play any role in the selection process,” according to a government statement.
The federal government remains under pressure to resolve the pool’s condition before the July 4, 2026, celebrations. Whether the new “Nano Bubble” filtration system will effectively manage the biological growth in the 300,000-square-foot basin remains the central question for park management. As the deadline for the semiquincentennial festivities approaches, the intersection of political optics, environmental engineering, and government procurement processes continues to draw scrutiny from watchdog groups and environmental scientists alike.
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