Natural Pools or Natural Swimming Ponds (NSPs)
Let nature clean the water...
Chemical-free water garden and swimming pool. The plant portion, or regeneration zone, is separated from the swimming area by the wall seen a few inches below the water’s surface. www.naturalswimmingpools.com
The pools have skimmers and pumps that circulate the water through the regeneration zone and back into the swimming area. The aquatic plants filter out contaminants and use nutrients from the water as food which helps prevent algae. Then rocks, such as granite river rock or haydite, to which friendly bacteria attach, act as biological filters. More questions answered here: www.ecodesignscape.co.uk & www.gartenart.co.uk
There are many options as to design. Beneficial bacteria (micro-organisms and microbes) colonize the rock and help cleanse the water. www.clear-water-revival.com
A gradual slope contains the plants, gravel and loamy sand, a wall keeps them separate from the swimming area.
Vacuum but twice a year and tend to the plants as needed. The plants will need to be cut back in the fall so they do not die in the pool. www.naturalswimmingpools.com
The regeneration zone can be along the perimeter of a natural pool or a pond unto itself but connected to the swimming area. www.gartenart.co.uk
For a true natural pool with no help from ultraviolet light or other such technology, the requirement is half swimming area, half regeneration area. www.biotop-natural-pool.com
Plants steel the nutrients away from algae. www.gartenart.co.uk
Half regeneration area, half swimming pool. www.living-pool.eu
Natural predators such as water striders and dragonflies will come to live in the enrichment area and feast on mosquitoes. If you chose to have a skimmer installed this will keep mosquitoes in check as well. Woodhouse demo pool - www.naturalswimmingpools.com
Use your pool as an ice rink in winter, as there is no need for a cover. www.gartenart.co.uk
A first year pool will need at least 60 days to self-adjust, but installing an ultraviolet sterilizer in the pump area will have you swimming almost immediately. www.clear-water-revival.com
Note the plant pond to the right. In France: www.bioteich.fr
The pools are most popular in Austria, where a company called Biotop has
been designing them for residential and public use since 1986. Pic: www.homeexteriorinterior.com
Two-tiered, the waterfall helps oxygenate the pool. naturalpoolsnz.com
A hybrid natural pool usually has two circulation pumps. One where water is circulated through
the plant and rock filters before being discharged back to the bottom
of the pond. The second surface circulation system pulls water through one or two skimmers filtering out floating debris. Water drawn through the skimmers passes
through some type of filter system, such as a UV filter and/or a biofilter—essentially a box filled
with bacteria-laden bio-media—before returning to the pool. A waterfall helps with oxygenation. South Africa: www.naturalswimmingpools.co.za
Love the deck amongst the water plants. An original Biotop pool - www.biotop-natural-pool.com
Access through an enrichment area. www.clear-water-revival.com
Love the diving boards. www.naturalswimmingpools.com
Natural pool in the UK www.clear-water-revival.com
Convert a pond into a swimming pond. Mother Earth News says there are a few options as to liners - bentonite clay to seal the soil or a synthetic liner. If you choose a synthetic, they recommend ethylene propylene diene monomer rather than PVC. www.motherearthnews.com www.gartenart.co.uk
Ice skate in the winter. www.gartenart.co.uk
No chemicals so the water is soft. www.gartenart.co.uk
Close up of a Do it Yourself kit from www.clear-water-revival.com
Northeast U.S. www.waterhousepools.com
New free-form construction. www.clear-water-revival.com
Conventional pools can also be converted to natural pools; above is an internal conversion. www.gartenart.co.uk
Convert your existing pool into a natural pool. www.bionovanaturalpools.com See pics of a conversion process here: www.clear-water-revival.com
Conversion with added beach. www.bionovanaturalpools.com
Plants instead of chemicals -- have you ever thought about how many pounds of chemicals go into a typical swimming pool?
Plants: A range of aquatic plants are used -- submerged (oxygenators), floating, shallow marginals, deep marginals, bog/marsh and waterside species. Whenever possible, it is best to use indigenous plants. Some examples of typical water plants: cattails, bulrushes, sedges, duckweed and water lilies.
Do it Yourself:
www.motherearthnews.com
www.schwimmteich-selbstbau.de In German
naturalswimmingpools.info
www.naturalswimmingpools.com -construction images
Natural Swimming Pools Book by Michael Littlewood www.amazon.com
Builders:
EU:
Biotop since 1984 with more than 3,500 satisfied
customers.
Their partner network covers 17 countries. Head Office: Austria www.biotop-natural-pool.com
BioNova®
is a global network of Partners on 6 continents who work
synergistically to push the state-of-the-art of Natural Swimming Pool
design, construction, aesthetics and maintenance. Head Office: Munich www.bionovanaturalpools.com
UK:
GartenArt www.gartenart.co.uk
Woodhouse Natural Pools with BIOTOP™ have been developing and
building naturally filtered swimming pools in the UK since 2000. www.naturalswimmingpools.com
Clear Water Revival www.clear-water-revival.com sell KITS as well...
France:
Bioteich Baignades Naturelles www.bioteich.fr
U.S.
Total Habitat, Kansas www.totalhabitat.com
Expanding Horizons, Calif expandinghorizons.biz
Pond Doctor Dave, Arizona - does conversions www.pond-doctor-dave.com
Water House Pools, Massachusetts www.waterhousepools.com
Canada:
Tumber & Associates Landscape Consultants, Ont. www.tumber.ca
Genus Loci Ecological Landscapes, Ont. www.genus-loci.ca
New Zealand:
Natural Pools naturalpoolsnz.com
South Africa:
www.naturalswimmingpools.co.za nice designs!
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