Trump's D.C. reflecting pool is the butt of online jokes. What happened?

Algae, peeling paint and 6 arrests have marred the president's $14M US renovation

It was big, bold American flag blue.

And then it was green. And then it was spotted with chunks of floating paint.

U.S. President Donald Trump's ambitious plan to renovate the 600-metre-long Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., for the country's 250th anniversary celebration has backfired spectacularly.

The pool's $14.7-million US renovation and subsequent rapid deterioration has become the butt of internet jokes. Some have dubbed June "ALGAEBTQ Pride Month" or commented that Trump, who promised to "drain the swamp" in Washington, has instead created a swamp.

In one viral video, mixologist Adam Wild made a "reflecting pool" margarita, using matcha to mimic the pool's green hue.

Jokes aside, the debacle has led to at least six arrests and the state of the pool is in question with just 10 days to go before July 4 celebrations.

And it's not all Trump's fault — the reflecting pool has been causing problems for more than a century.

The rectangular, concrete-bottomed pool was built in the 1920s and, depending on vantage point, can reflect the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial. It draws millions of visitors every year.

The still, shallow body of water is also a perfect breeding ground for algae. Because it was built on swampland, it's also been sinking over time, which has caused cracks in pipes and other headaches.

The National Park Service attempted to fix some of these problems with an 18-month, $34-million US project that started in 2010 under former president Barack Obama.

Trump continues to allege D.C. reflecting pool was vandalized, as ex-Olympian denies doing damage

Trump spent $14M US to make reflecting pool look blue. Now the water is green

But within weeks of reopening in 2012, it already had to be drained and cleaned because its surface was covered in algae.

In April of this year, Trump, who said the pool looked "disgusting," announced plans to resurface its bottom in "American flag blue" and make it "beautiful."

He gave a no-bid federal contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which had previously worked on his golf club in Virginia, to do the job.

The Reflecting Pool saga | About That

Cue a summer heat wave. Within days of the project's June 6 completion, algae had turned the water swampy green.

The "American blue" paint may have played a role, with the darker interior absorbing more sunlight.

"Warmer water does allow for more aggressive algae growth so you could reasonably estimate that the colour did contribute to the algae," Ontario swimming pool specialist Steve Goodale told CBC News in an email.

But Goodale and other experts say there were likely many factors at play, including phosphate and nitrate levels, the quality of the water pumped into the pool and the cleanliness of the plumbing.

Even with all variables accounted for, Goodale said, "the initial start up of a system like this can sometimes result in a sudden onset of algae growth."

In an attempt to fix the problem, National Park Service workers poured bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the pool and started manually vacuuming the algae.

And then things went from bad to worse, when large chunks of blue paint started peeling off and floating to the top of the pool.

Experts say the hydrogen peroxide, which can be used to strip paint, may have contributed to the peeling, though it was likely a mix of factors related to how the pool's walls and floors were prepared before painting.

Days after Trump's 'fantastic' fixes, iconic D.C. reflecting pool stinks, is peeling

"In order to know for certain more testing would have to be done," Goodale said.

Multiple news outlets have reported that the Trump administration gave another no-bid contract to Green Water Solutions, owned by major Trump donor John Cafaro, to clean up the water.

The DC Water authority said Monday it issued a permit to drain the pool, while the repair company said it would fix the pool as part ⁠of its warranty.

Trump, without evidence, has blamed vandals for the state of the landmark, threatening 10-year prison sentences for destruction of federal property.

On Monday, he accused people of putting fertilizer in the water to create the algae and also said a 290-to-300-foot "slit" was cut through the pool, likely by a knife or box cutter. He later said it was a 350-foot slit.

Many have cast doubt on these claims.

"There is a 24/7 camera and potentially other cameras that show the Reflecting Pool," Democratic House Rep. Ted Lieu of California, said on X. "If someone went into the pool and made a 250 foot gash, it would have been seen."

Trump said Tuesday that six arrests have been made in connection to the damage and seven others have been cited, as he repeated his claims that the damage was "purposefully and criminally done."

One of those arrested was David Hearn, a 67-year-old three-time Olympic canoe racer from Bethesda, Md., who told The Associated Press that he briefly touched a chunk of paint attached to the side of the pool, then let go after a park worker told him to.

Hearn said he was then detained by National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police for several hours.

Norm Eisen, the lawyer representing Hearn, called the misdemeanour charges "outrageous."

"We can't have the Department of Justice bullying American citizens for touching water," he told All In With Chris Hayes on MS Now. "That cannot be a crime."

On Wednesday, multiple news outlets reported that the Trump administration was putting fencing up around the pool. A White House spokesperson told Fortune that the area was already going to be fenced off for July 4, but it was being done earlier because of an "increase in vandalism by leftist activists."

The White House has not provided evidence of vandalism, or the political leanings of potential vandals.

Kevin Maimann is a senior writer for CBC News based in Edmonton. He has covered a wide range of topics for publications including VICE, the Toronto Star, Xtra Magazine and the Edmonton Journal. You can reach Kevin by email at kevin.maimann@cbc.ca.

With files from The Associated Press