Natural Swimming Pools Are Cheap, Clean And ‘Green.’ Why Aren’t They In More American Backyards?

Natural swimming pools are popular in Europe, but in the United States these eco-friendly. inexpensive, and, believe or not, clean and sanitary pools are only starting to catch on. Why? Some people believe Americans are slow to take to the natural swimming pool trend because of the national obsession with cleanliness.

If that’s true, then Americans need to learn more about natural pools, sometimes called swimming ponds, because natural pools, if constructed correctly, are just as clean as chlorinated pools. But rather than use chlorine — a chemical that can cause skin and eye irritation and is actually used as a deadly poison — natural swimming pools are cleaned, well, naturally.

“Instead of creating an abhorrence of nature where everything is dead, it’s creating natural healthy water that takes care of itself,” says natural swimming pool designer Morgan Brown. “Conventional pools that use ozone or chlorine are upsetting a natural balance. In fact it’s hard to keep a chlorinated pool biologically dead, because nature gets in there. With natural pools the living system takes care of itself.”

Many natural swimming pools look a lot like actual ponds, surrounded by plant life. But the plant life is actually the water filter. The secret is that a natural swimming pool is actually two pools — the swimming pool where people actually swim and play, and an adjoining pool, or “plant zone,” for naturally occurring vegetation.

Water from the swimming pool is pumped through the plant pool, and, as the Mother Earth News explains:

“As water passes through the fibrous root structure of the plants, bacteria concentrated on the plants’ roots act as a biological filter, removing contaminants and excess nutrients in the water. Decomposer organisms, also found in the plants’ root zones, consume the bacteria, effectively eliminating underwater waste buildup.”

Water in natural swimming pools is clean enough to drink.

Another possible reason why Americans have been reluctant to build natural swimming pools is, saysGood Housekeeping Magazine, “our apparent need to be in control of things.”

Americans like to feel like masters of their own domain, and when it comes to swimming pools, that means being able to adjust the temperature at will and add precise amounts of chlorine. Owning a natural pool requires the ability to “let go” and trust nature to do what it does on its own — create a healthy, clean, and self-sustaining eco-system.

In these budget-conscious times, it is a bit surprising that more Americans aren’t building their own natural swimming pools for one simple reason: natural swimming pools are cheaper than their chlorinated, climate-controlled, concrete counterparts.

Initial construction costs are comparable, but maintenance costs can be hundreds of dollars lower, with no chemicals and minimal if any electricity.

But what if you don’t want a pond in your backyard? You like the sleek appearance of traditional swimming pools? That’s no problem either. There are as many different types of natural swimming pools as there are people who build them. While there’s nothing wrong with a pool that looks like a naturally occurring pond, if the all-natural look doesn’t fit your home’s aesthetics, a natural swimming pool can be constructed to look exactly like a traditional, designer concrete pool.

If you’re interested in learning more about natural swimming pools and how to build one in your own backyard, click on the links in this article, and watch the video below which will help get you started. Happy swimming!

[Images: Gartenart Swimming Ponds, Clear Water Revival]