The contractor hired to renovate the Reflecting Pool says its repair work caused the pool's liner to peel and bubble, according to documents first reviewed by The New York Times.
Why it matters: President Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for the pool's damage and has pushed to prosecute some of them, even after U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped the cases.
Driving the news: The contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, admitted that both the design and execution of the renovation were flawed, according to the Times.
- Workers didn't spray enough primer in some areas to bond the liner's layers, but the "human oversight" wasn't as big a problem as the liner's chemical mixture.
- The two chemicals the contractor combined for the liner were incompatible. The top layer got so hot that the material underneath couldn't handle the heat, causing it to blister and peel away, the documents show.
- The two chemicals are rarely mixed, so the contractor wasn't aware of the incompatibility.
What they're saying: "President Trump promised to make D.C. safe and beautiful, and he's delivering," a White House spokesperson told Axios in an emailed statement.
- "For years, the Reflecting Pool sat neglected, plagued with algae, and leaking millions of gallons of water. Fixing it was common sense. It's another example of President Trump restoring our nation's capital for the American people."
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Go deeper: Reflecting Pool repairs become personal for Trump