So Trump had the anti algae filters ... nano bubblers ....removed from the Reflecting Pool for his UFC fight?

[Botany]

And that along with the new blue color caused the algal bloom. And when they were reinstalled the
nano bubblers the algae was so bad the filters couldn’t keep up with it?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/132174817



And Trump’s fuck up to the pool was done by a no bid contractor who had zero experience
in working on projects such as the Reflecting Pool.

Btw underneath the pool it is concrete so despite his lies no box cutter or knife could have
cut a 300 foot slit into it.

The Florida pool company and Trump should pay for the repairs themselves.

Thanx to DUer Rhiannon for 1st posting this.

[rampartd]

1. the paint is actually a spray on closed cell foam, like a liner

it could have been cut, i guess, but it would have required more work than most people would do while wading in a security area? and i would love to see the blade.

[Botany]

2. The "vandal or vandals" would have needed some kind of scuba gear to go underwater to make that cut ..

and how could they have done it and not be detected by all the law enforcement and surveillance cameras
on the National Mall?

and it looks like the H2O2 might have caused the new paint / liner to come up,
the nano bubblers might work as a preventative but not good after a huge algae
bloom, and what problems did Trump’s motorcade cause to the pool?

I hope after they drain the pool to fix it they ditch the idea of making it “American Flag Blue.”

[rampartd]

4. i am sure that there was at least one guy who knew every thing about that pool

until elon hit him with the chain saw.

but even worse. if the parks service has a department of reflecting pools, trump would have still called his buonamico and made a deal.

[33taw]

14. The pool is only 18-30 inches deep. Why would they need scuba gear?

[popsdenver]

21. If there was a slit,

the length of the pool, it certainly would have been done as a "BLACK FLAG" operation, done at night, using Seal Team "ONE" LOL

[vanlassie]

29. Or caused by a motorcade of dozens of Range Rovers.

[popsdenver]

33. I think

that range rovers and land rovers are extremely expensive, extremely cheaply built.......Pussy Mobiles.......that the uber rich tool around in......
outgrowing their useful lifespan sometime after 50,000 miles

[LiberalArkie]

31. Or, maybe just driving multiple very heavy vehicles over it while it was curing

[Igel]

3. Saw them spreading some thick blue gunk.

But at the same time they were spraying in some areas. Don't know if they were spraying to correct incorrect spreading, if they were spreading a bonding agent prior to having the blue viscous fluid spread over it or if they were applying a final sealant to the blue.

The 'brooms' looked like the things I've seen used to smooth the top surface of concrete (or, small scale, the little T-shaped paddle I use for spreading batter when making Russian bliny or Czech palacinky.)

Cutting it, I'd think, would be like cutting down to the metal on one of those applied pick up bed liners--that's where the tech originated.

[lonely bird]

17. So

The blue gunk might have been a repair material. There are dual cartridge kits that are used to patch holes or “holidays” in the liner. I don’t know if that is what the blue gunk was but it might have been.

[the nelm]

7. Or been compromised by a number of 10-ton vehicles driving down the center of the pool...n/t

[lonely bird]

11. No, it is not

The application according to the manufacturer was an epoxy primer followed by a hybrid polyurea/polyurethane lining.

I have issue with the selected material due to it not being UV stable. While that would likely not cause immediate failure it could cause issues down the road including yellowing which could cause the blue color to turn green.

[quakerboy]

18. Weve seen the "blades"

The wheels of the motorcade trump had driven across it

[obamanut2012]

22. It couldn't be cut the way they claim

[Dave Id]

5. So they've

figured out who was responsible for vandalizing the reflecting pool and of course nobody is surprised it's the guy who "never takes responsibility for anything".

[IronLionZion]

6. Antifa snuck underneath his motorcade to avoid detection as he drove through the pool

they're so sneaky like that

[lastlib]

8. I'm 1,000% SURE that's what happened!

They're probably effing up the ballroom right now, as we chat. Oh, wait.......it was effed up to begin with.

[quakerboy]

19. Nah. Thats gonna be quality work.

Actually, i expect that ballroom to be pretty literally and metaphorically bulletproof.

The foreign intel associated contractors doing the work want to make absolutely certain that the spy gear they are hard wiring into the walls stays put for use with future administrations that are less likely to voluntarily turn over classified documents that will degrade national security. Gonna be lots of nasty stuff embedded in that concrete, i expect.

[mdbl]

9. We need to make him personally pay for all this

I am tired of his poor judgement costing us billions.

[Maeve]

10. That clip was definately worth the watch! Thank you and Rhiannon for bringing it here!

[Farmer-Rick]

12. A bubbling pool can't reflect images

So, I imagine it was disturbing the look of it. Plus you can see the bubblers through the water, since the pool is so shallow.

But now the look of it, especially with chain link fences around it, is neuvo trailer trash. Several of my neighbors, about 10 mile down the road, have those fences surrounding their junk cars parked on their lawns.

Trump's contractor friend and neighbor used Rhino Pipeliner 5000. A two-component, rapid-curing elastomeric polyurea hybrid coating for pipes. I use it in my underground water tanks. It doesn't stand up to UV light. Spraying it on a shallow pool guarantees it will degenerate.

[Scruffy1]

13. So much disinformation.

The contractors used the wrong materials for both the primer and the coating. They both lack the flexibility to handle the expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes. The effect of hydrogen peroxide has nothing to do with the primer separating from the top coat. The effect of h2o2 is merely to add oxygen. It wouldn't have much affect on the coating. Neither would driving over it after it was cured. The nano bubblers and h202 worked on blue green algae, but then green algae moved in and it's a lot tougher to control. It's amazing to me that most of the public seems to be clueless about how contracting works. Large coating jobs like nearly every aspect of contracting is based on manufacturers specifications not the contractors. In this botched job the manufacturer it seems no architects or material suppliers were involved. It's been a lot of time since I retired and I'm not up on current prices but Im thinking a price of around $40 per square is at least 3 times what it should be, but I don't have a spec for other work done beside the coating. This whole thing is a classic example of why we follow processes instead of trust contractors.

[Whyisthisstillclose]

15. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer that breaks down the chemical binders in paint, making it capable of softening, stripping, or bubbling coatings

[Botany]

16. Stuff.

Hydrogen peroxide ( H₂O₂ ) paint strippers are eco-friendly, low-odor alternatives to traditional chemical removers (like methylene chloride). Activated by hydrogen peroxide, they effectively break down tough aerospace coatings (polyurethane, epoxy) and household paints without releasing harsh VOCs. They are safe for most metals but should be avoided on magnesium. (A.I. generated)

And didn’t the new blue coatings have some kinds of polyurethane and epoxy in them?

I believe the nano bubblers were good as a preventative but could not handle an algal bloom of
that size. As an ecologist I can definitely say that after Trump fucked with the reflecting pool
he created the perfect conditions for algae be it blue green (Cyanobacteria) or green algae.
The potential for algal growth in that pool was always there being that algal spores are in the
air and that ducks, geese, gulls, and wading birds who use the pool carry algae on their legs and
and bodies from previous bodies of water that they have visited such as the near by Potomac River
and tidal basin.

As per driving on it I have no way of knowing if things had set up and cured.

[BidenRocks]

20. I bought my wife a small pick up.

First thing was to have the bed liner sprayed in.
When cured, you are not going to cut it.
A chip stays a chip. They do not disintegrate into pieces.
Also, you may find a liner on the side of the road.
It didn't properly adhere to the vehicle and blew out as one piece.

This was the material used as the spray in liner.

[Wonder Why]

23. Sounds like he should have hired DU as the contractor.

[Initech]

24. And now the stupid fuckhead is blaming everyone else and getting away with it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

25. How the Reflecting Pool Turned Green: Missing 'Bubblers' and a Rush Job (New York Times Gift Article)

Bulky “nanobubbler” machines were carted off ahead of a promotional event for President Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship birthday party.

Link to tweet

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/us/politics/reflecting-pool-trump-algae.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tVA.2QwI.US81yGvYDJ99&smid=nytcore-android-share

Dotted around the perimeter of the memorial’s Reflecting Pool were the nanobubblers, the temporary water-purification machines meant to keep the pool clear of algae. Encased in black fencing and powered by large generators, the machines were something of an eyesore.

Before the event, the National Park Service asked Greenwater Services, which won a $1.7 million no-bid contract to install the nanobubblers, to remove them, according to two people briefed on the decision. The people asked for anonymity because they feared retaliation from the administration. The Park Service did not provide a reason for the removal, but it coincided exactly with the promotional event, which drew crowds to the Reflecting Pool.

Photos from that evening showed the pool without the hoses or enormous machines working to keep the water clean. The water looked dark blue.

But by the time the purification systems were reinstalled 36 hours later, enormous algae blooms were starting to spread unchecked, turning the water green.,,,,,

The decision to remove the water-treatment systems, which has not previously been reported, was one of several missteps that have plagued Mr. Trump’s $16.4 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool. There have been no-bid contracts, peeling strips of waterproof coating in Mr. Trump’s handpicked shade of “American flag blue,” and even a dead duck floating in the water (though it is not clear if the renovation had anything to do with the duck’s demise).

[Bluetus]

27. The reporting is really confusing. Let me see if I can get it right.

Last edited Sun Jun 28, 2026, 10:20 AM - Edit history (1)

The pool repairs coincided with the the installation of a TEMPORARY filtration system ("bubbler" ), presumably because the permanent system was not working or needed a major overhaul.

The contractor did install the temporary "bubblers" and they were working.

The temporary bubblers required a noisy or stinky Diesel generator or pump.

Trump or somebody representing Trump ordered the contractor to turn off the bubblers during the UFC event because of the noise?

The Diesel was off for 36 hours, and when it was turned back on, algae had taken over the pool.

Is that the story?

That story makes zero sense. The reflecting pool is nowhere close to where the UFC event was staged. It is at least a half mile away. This story sounds like bullshit to me. Or being charitable, if there is some connection, then the reporters don't know how to explain it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

30. Trump did nor want anything to distract from his birthday party event

[Bluetus]

32. That's why the story is bullshit.

The pool isn't close to the White House. It is a half mile away. The noise and/or fumes would have no bearing on the brawl.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

34. The NYT is clear that the nanobubblers were removed/shutdown for the UFC/birthday event

The machinery/equipment was clearly removed. You are questioning the reason for the removal. I have no trouble believing the reporting from the NYT that trump ordered the removal or shutdown of this equipment just because he was worried or concern that his guests may hear the noise. trump wanted this event to be perfect and so the explanation from the New York Times is very reasonable

Again, the key thing is that there was no equipment at the reflecting pond for 36 hours and that is when the algae bloom began. Why do you think this equipment was removed? Why do you think that the algae came back?

[struggle4progress]

26. He needs an excuse for his next big beautiful no-bid contract

[Aussie105]

28. Delamination of incompatible paint on top of a poorly prepared substrate.

It happens.

And the water going in wasn't properly filtered and chlorinated.

Result?
Well, you can see with your own eyes.