Overview
- The pool was refilled after a multimillion-dollar renovation earlier this month and on Saturday crews began intensive cleanup after green algae reappeared and pieces of the newly applied blue liner peeled off the basin floor.
- Park Service workers used vacuum lines, hydrogen peroxide and contracted nanobubbler/ozone equipment to kill and remove algae while visible strips and pinholes in the new coating were photographed by reporters and shared internally.
- U.S. Park Police arrested at least one person, former Olympian David Hearn, on a misdemeanor destruction-of-government-property charge; Hearn denies causing damage and is due in D.C. Superior Court on July 9.
- President Trump said multiple arrests have been made and alleged deliberate sabotage, claimed corrosive chemicals and said much of the water may need draining for repairs, but authorities have offered limited public confirmation of broader vandalism claims.
- The controversy has sharpened scrutiny of procurement and preservation: the project used an expedited no‑bid contract that cost more than initial estimates, did not replace buried circulation pipes slated for fall work, and has prompted legal and federal review.