Overview
- A multimillion-dollar renovation finished in early June left the pool with a dark blue liner that began peeling and a fast-returning algal bloom, prompting emergency treatments and visible strips of coating in the water.
- Park Service crews have used hydrogen peroxide, vacuuming and a contracted nanobubbler system to kill and remove algae while work crews and contractors prepare for more extensive repairs that may require draining the basin.
- The White House says multiple arrests have been made and President Trump inspected the site, but officials have not publicly released firm evidence that the problems were caused by organized sabotage.
- Oversight questions have intensified because the project used expedited no-bid contracts that grew to about $14–16 million and did not replace buried 12‑inch circulation pipes that experts say leave the pool prone to recurring blooms.
- The dispute has spawned preservation lawsuits, criminal scrutiny and procurement probes that could raise costs and delay readiness of the Mall feature for July events while investigators and Park Service crews continue remediation.