Swimming pools in California are awesome as folks can enjoy them for the most part of the year. You’ve switched to solar water heaters, energy efficient pumps, now what? The next step would be getting rid of the chemicals that make you smell like your sink’s water sponge after a nice skinny dip (privacy preferred). I bet you’re thinking “No way, my pool will turn green in two weeks and that pesky County inspector will cite me for harboring a mosquito farm in no time.” Well, you are correct in one fact – your pool will turn green but not the color – ecologically green.
You see, most people think that all pools need chemicals. If these chemicals are not used, the sanitation goes down. To be fair, this stood true a few years ago but not anymore. There is growing trend in the number of people that currently start using natural pools, (aka biological swimming pools) which are basically combinations of garden water (chemical-free) and the actual swimming hole. I guess you could actually call them ponds. While this trend is only strong in Europe at the moment, we do expect that it will soon reach other continents because of the benefits that are associated.
People do not go all natural on their pools because of two possible reasons:
- They do not know that a natural swimming pool can be created and maintained.
- They do not have the money to build it.
The natural pool uses water plants in order to help the growth of microorganisms that would kill bacteria. This automatically makes the entire pool green and there is always a regeneration zone, which is separated from the actual swimming area. The heat from the sun will heat the regeneration zone and warm water will go through the swimming area in a natural way. Synthetic pool liner is then used to keep everything from leaking. This is how simple a natural pool is but we do understand that you might not be able to have something like this in your backyard.
The financial aspect is totally understandable. Renovating the existing pool and putting in a necessary regeneration zone is quite expensive. When you want to build a natural pool from the start, the bills are even higher. The really good news is that you can reduce pool toxicity and you do not need to create an environment for microorganisms to develop in order to do that.
How to Green Your Existing Pool without Building a Pond
The great thing about the evolution of technology is that we now have access to various replacements that can be used in order to reduce the chemical stew that is so common with regular pools. You just need to know about them and you do not have to spend a lot of money on what you would require. Here are three ways in which you could do just that:
1. Use Mineral Sanitizers – Mineral sanitizers are eco-friendly and affordable. They use copper and silver as mineral elements and the amount of chlorine that is necessary in this case is very low. This eliminates contaminants and bacteria. You can easily install one in an existing plumbing system and chlorine effects are literally eliminated while improving the quality and feel of the water. Some very good mineral sanitizers can be found from businesses such as InTheSwim.com.
2. Add Ultraviolet Lights – You should be aware of the fact that when you run pool water through an Ultraviolet light, you basically eliminate many different bad things that are in the water, including most of the bacteria. This helps in keeping the water clean and you do not need to use chlorine in the process. In most cases a very good ultraviolet lights system costs around 500 dollars.
3. Using Ozonization – This is great for drinking water and is also suitable for your green swimming pool. In case you did not know, ozonization is a process through which ozone is basically injected in water. You thus gain access to water that is odor free, clearer and cleaner when compared with the regular purification systems that are common these days.
There you have it folks. Give it a whirl. If you have some experience with transforming your swimming pool into an ecological marvel please leave a comment below. Happy green swimming to ya!
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What is the cost for a natural pool installation. we live on a 65oo square foot lot an have about 2000 square feet for such a project. There is no existing pool. Thank you!
That is a good question Alicia but I do not have an answer. I can only tell you your pool would have to be rather small on a lot your size. You could do a small natural pond instead of a pool but if you’re really set on it try searching for contractors online, there’s probably some association that can direct you to some local natural pool specialist. Have fun.