We all like to cool off in the pool in summer. But not all pools are the same. Most are plastic or cement and the water is changed periodically and maintained with chlorine. These pools have several negative aspects: chlorine is not entirely healthy, and in addition, a lot of water is wasted by having to replace it. Ecological pools are an alternative.
We speak of an ecological pool when it has no chemical products, no chlorine, no salt, only natural water. Plants are responsible for keeping the water clean and transparent.
General characteristics
– It is a natural purification system to preserve the quality of the water instead of resorting to chemical products.
– It is a mixture of pond and pool, and it is also enriching for any type of garden.
– Avoid problems of irritation of the skin, mucous membranes and eyes due to chemicals. The creation of a balanced ecosystem alone carries out the maintenance of water quality.
– With a natural pool you not only have a place to cool off and bathe, you have also founded an ecosystem in your patio or in your home that harbors life, attracts birds and constitutes a way of life.
Currently, more and more natural or ecological pools are chosen over traditional ones. Its resemblance to a pond is what makes this element attractive, especially for people who like the natural environment.
Generally, the decoration of these pools is made with aquatic plants, which provide the accelerated growth of certain microorganisms that eliminate bacteria and keep the pool clean. When the sun rests in the area where the pool is located, the water turns warm and makes bathing feel more pleasant.
For the proper maintenance of a natural pool, the climatic conditions of the place, incidences of light and shadow must be taken into account. An ecological pool provides beauty, while generating more natural breath to the place where it is.
The natural pool is not an ‘invention’ of now, it is a trend that emerged in European countries (Germany, Austria, Italy) that is spreading throughout the world, to the point that many conventional pools are becoming natural due mainly to allergic problems caused by chemicals.
Advantages of natural pools
The main advantage is that of being able to swim in waters that do not have chemical products. The cost of a lagoon of this type is similar to that of a normal pool, but not the cost of maintenance, which is lower.
A natural pool can be any size, from a small pool to a municipal pool. Although it is not advisable to have fish, they can be introduced in the first phase, in order to help in the regeneration process. Frogs may appear, but they stay in the area where the plants are (in the perimeter of the pool glass), their presence will serve to control the appearance of larvae and mosquitoes.
A natural pool only has to be filled with water once, although it will need contributions to compensate for the volume that is lost through evaporation, more pressing in the summer, and at least once a year its bottom must be cleaned. Being an ecosystem, you do not have full control over it, so the water is not crystal clear from the beginning, but this can be achieved by introducing a special filter, and the appropriate amount of plants.
How to make your pool natural?
Having space in the garden, it is possible to adapt an old chlorine pool to a wonderful natural pool, for this it would be necessary to lower the height of its walls, empty a perimeter area, extend a waterproof tarpaulin for ponds in the new hole, and place the plants (rushes, water lilies, etc).
Apart from the benefit for the environment, this type of pool will give added value to the garden of a house, allowing nature to be imitated with a landscape design that, in addition to aquatic plants, incorporates rocks, small waterfalls and streams of water. A natural spectacle for any home, as it integrates much better into the environment.
How a natural pool works
The secret of a natural pool is that the water is purified by plants, it is a biological regulation, but in its design it is necessary to make a distinction between the bathing area (with greater depth) and the area in which they are found. aquatic plants, just a few centimeters. In the installations of these ‘biotopes’ it is essential to know the relationship between water, flora, and fauna, since it is essential to guarantee the appearance of the necessary microorganisms to maintain the balance in the water.
The surface intended for aquatic plants will have a greater or lesser role depending on the type of pool, and may or may not have a pump that circulates the water from the bathing area to the plant area, with the intention of facilitating its purification. The water then returns to the pool through small waterfalls and streams, elements that make these pools even more attractive.
The most widespread type of natural pool is one in which approximately one third of its surface is intended for a regeneration area, with the installation of a floating skimmer and a pump, with sufficient power to cause water circulation. This method helps the water to be clear and reduces the appearance of sediments at the bottom of the pool, which can be cleaned with a special pool cleaner for natural pools.
Care of natural pools
Certain people do not like the presence of small critters, which is why in some public natural pools the plant area has been completely separated from that of bathers. To the little maintenance that it has, we must add the collection of leaves in autumn, something that can be facilitated with the use of special nets for these pools, or with the installation of the skimmer.
If you are planning to build a pool in your house, and you have enough space in your garden, you may still be in time to opt for a more ecological construction, deciding on one of these natural pools, and fill it with wonderful rocks, plants , and waterfalls.