Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, an Ohio-based company, was awarded a $1.7 million no-bid contract by the Department of the Interior to install a \"Nano Bubble\" filtration system in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The company's owner is listed on federal contracting documents as \"JJ Cafaro Investment Trust,\" with John J. Cafaro identified as its president and CEO on Federal Election Commission filings. Cafaro is noted as a donor to Trump, having given $250,000 to pro-Trump fundraising committees and donating to Trump's campaigns and other Republican causes. The contract bypassed competitive bidding under a rule for \"unusual and compelling urgency,\" citing the need for fixes before the nation's 250th birthday on July 4 and calling the Nano Bubble system \"highly specialized and niche technology with limited domestic suppliers.\"
The company's installation faced immediate issues, with algae reappearing in the Reflecting Pool and newly installed sealant peeling off in at least one location days after water was pumped back in. The Interior Department attributed the algae to \"residual algae\" from stagnant water during startup, later stating the Nano Bubble system \"very effectively killed the algae.\" Work crews were subsequently observed cleaning algae and adding hydrogen peroxide to the water. A White House spokesperson, Taylor Rogers, denied any involvement by the White House in the selection process, stating, \"This contract was awarded by the Department of Interior; the White House did not play any role in the selection process.\"
Beyond the Reflecting Pool, Green Water Solutions also secured a separate $1 million government contract in 2025 for a feasibility study on using its Nano Bubble system to treat sewage flows in the Tijuana River. The company's website describes its technology as injecting ozone-infused \"nano bubbles\" to purify water and remove contaminants, with oxygen as the byproduct. This $1.7 million contract for the Reflecting Pool is part of a larger federal effort, with another $14.7 million no-bid contract granted to Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings for installing the sealant on the pool's floor, which President Trump reportedly handpicked in \"American Flag Blue\" color.
