tap18
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You own a swimming pool. Perhaps you had it built a few years back, or you acquired it with the house purchase. Ini- tially, the pool was great fun for you and your family. But the kids have grown up and lost interest. Maybe you’ve got health concerns regarding the use of chlorine and pool chemicals, and have lost the will to keep up with the pool’s maintenance. Perhaps it’s sprung a leak, and you are facing costly repairs. For whatever reason, the pool has lost its appeal; now it has become that blue ele- phant in the back yard. What do you do? Some homeowners will opt to get rid of it, by filling it with soil. Unfortunately, a properly decom- missioned pool comes at a price, and this may be the most expensive hole you will ever fill. Some with health concerns may spend their money on a conversion to a salt water (or other non-chlorinated) sys- tem. And, yet others may decide to bite the bullet and keep the current system up and running, for lack of a better option. If this is your dilemma, you may want to consider a more natural and ecologi- cally sensible fresh water alternative. You can convert your chlorinated pool into a “natural swimming pool”. Natural swimming pools were pio- neered in the 1980’s by Biotop, an Aus- trian pool company. Since then, they have gained tremendous popularity across Europe and Great Britain, where many thousands have been built. Although it has taken a while for the con- cept to capture the public imagination here in North America, natural swim- ming pools are now gaining a foothold in the pool construction market. Lots of information is now available on-line – Google “natural swimming pool”, and you’ll be amazed at some of the beautiful creations out there. Conventional pools rely on chlorine and other chemicals to keep the water clean and biologically sterile, i.e., free of algae, microbial activity, and other life forms (other than swimmers). Natural swimming pools, on the other hand, are anything but sterile. They are designed to promote aquatic life rather than eliminate it. Water quality is main- tained by the aquatic plant and biological filters, in combination with mechanical UV sterilizers, ion generators, and skim- mers. Natural swimming pools are lined with a rubber liner, and are typically built to resemble a natural pond. A typical design consists of a central swim zone enclosed by a submerged retaining wall. The wall holds back the aquatic plantings grown in granite rock and peastone beds around the pool perimeter. Water is pumped through the plant filters, and in tandem with a bio-filter waterfall and other mechanical cleansing components, is proven to keep the water clean and clear. All you add is a few spoonfuls of beneficial bacteria every couple of weeks through the swimming season. These bacteria will colonize the rock and other biomedia in the plant filters and bio-falls, where they will provide highly effective algae control. As with any pool, the design may be further accessorized with plantings, a deck or patio, stone diving slabs, stone steps, underwater lighting and other accessories. In a pool conversion, the basic design principles still apply. The existing pool shell becomes the “swim zone”, and the existing pump and skimmers are incorpo- rated into the converted pool’s circula- tion system. A large plant filter is con- structed next to the existing pool. You’ll need enough space in the yard to accom- modate the plant filter, which ideally should be roughly the same size as the swim zone. Aesthetically, the plant filters are designed to complement the existing pool shape, and become a landscape fea- ture in and of themselves. Designed as a water garden, the filter is planted with a variety of native aquatic plants, and orna- mented with granite boulders and river- stone. The installation includes a water- fall that doubles as a biological filter. The aquatic plant filters are linked to the existing pool via a second circulation system. Water is drawn from the swim zone, pushed through the plant filter up to the waterfall, and discharged back into the pool. All connections between the existing pool and the plant filters must be properly sealed, and must be designed to suit the existing pool type, such as fibre- glass, vinyl, or concrete. An ion genera- tor and UV filter is added to the circula- tion system to maintain optimal water quality. A properly designed and constructed natural filtration system will maintain the same fresh water quality you would expect in a natural swimming pool. Of course, a conversion comes at a price; costs will vary depending on factors such as the existing pool size and type, and ease of equipment access. However, if the concept appeals to you and you are prepared to invest in a conversion, it will literally breathe new life into your pool, and married with the aquatic gardens, will transform your backyard into an aquatic oasis. Jean-Marc Daigle is a landscape architect and president of Genus Loci Ecological Landscapes Inc. He can be reached at 905-939-8498, or at [email protected]. - 18 - Swimming Pool Conversions – A Natural Alternative by Jean-Marc Daigle
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Swimming Pool Conversions – A Natural Alternative Jean-Marc Daigle is a landscape architect and president of Genus Loci Ecological Landscapes Inc. He can be reached at 905-939-8498, or at [email protected]. - 18 - by Jean-Marc Daigle
Transcript of tap18
You own a swimming pool. Perhaps youhad it built a few years back, or youacquired it with the house purchase. Ini-tially, the pool was great fun for you andyour family. But the kids have grown upand lost interest. Maybe you’ve gothealth concerns regarding the use ofchlorine and pool chemicals, and havelost the will to keep up with the pool’smaintenance. Perhaps it’s sprung a leak,and you are facing costly repairs. Forwhatever reason, the pool has lost itsappeal; now it has become that blue ele-phant in the back yard.
What do you do? Some homeownerswill opt to get rid of it, by filling it withsoil. Unfortunately, a properly decom-missioned pool comes at a price, and thismay be the most expensive hole you willever fill. Some with health concerns mayspend their money on a conversion to asalt water (or other non-chlorinated) sys-tem. And, yet others may decide to bitethe bullet and keep the current system upand running, for lack of a better option.
If this is your dilemma, you may wantto consider a more natural and ecologi-cally sensible fresh water alternative.You can convert your chlorinated poolinto a “natural swimming pool”.
Natural swimming pools were pio-neered in the 1980’s by Biotop, an Aus-trian pool company. Since then, theyhave gained tremendous popularityacross Europe and Great Britain, wheremany thousands have been built.Although it has taken a while for the con-cept to capture the public imaginationhere in North America, natural swim-ming pools are now gaining a foothold inthe pool construction market. Lots ofinformation is now available on-line –Google “natural swimming pool”, andyou’ll be amazed at some of the beautifulcreations out there.
Conventional pools rely on chlorineand other chemicals to keep the waterclean and biologically sterile, i.e., free ofalgae, microbial activity, and other lifeforms (other than swimmers).
Natural swimming pools, on the otherhand, are anything but sterile. They aredesigned to promote aquatic life ratherthan eliminate it. Water quality is main-tained by the aquatic plant and biologicalfilters, in combination with mechanicalUV sterilizers, ion generators, and skim-mers.
Natural swimming pools are linedwith a rubber liner, and are typically builtto resemble a natural pond. A typicaldesign consists of a central swim zoneenclosed by a submerged retaining wall.The wall holds back the aquatic plantings
grown in granite rock and peastone bedsaround the pool perimeter. Water ispumped through the plant filters, and intandem with a bio-filter waterfall andother mechanical cleansing components,is proven to keep the water clean andclear. All you add is a few spoonfuls ofbeneficial bacteria every couple of weeksthrough the swimming season. Thesebacteria will colonize the rock and otherbiomedia in the plant filters and bio-falls,where they will provide highly effectivealgae control. As with any pool, thedesign may be further accessorized withplantings, a deck or patio, stone divingslabs, stone steps, underwater lightingand other accessories.
In a pool conversion, the basic designprinciples still apply. The existing poolshell becomes the “swim zone”, and theexisting pump and skimmers are incorpo-rated into the converted pool’s circula-tion system. A large plant filter is con-structed next to the existing pool. You’llneed enough space in the yard to accom-modate the plant filter, which ideallyshould be roughly the same size as theswim zone. Aesthetically, the plant filtersare designed to complement the existingpool shape, and become a landscape fea-ture in and of themselves. Designed as awater garden, the filter is planted with avariety of native aquatic plants, and orna-mented with granite boulders and river-stone. The installation includes a water-fall that doubles as a biological filter.
The aquatic plant filters are linked tothe existing pool via a second circulationsystem. Water is drawn from the swimzone, pushed through the plant filter upto the waterfall, and discharged back intothe pool. All connections between theexisting pool and the plant filters must beproperly sealed, and must be designed tosuit the existing pool type, such as fibre-glass, vinyl, or concrete. An ion genera-tor and UV filter is added to the circula-tion system to maintain optimal waterquality.
A properly designed and constructednatural filtration system will maintain thesame fresh water quality you wouldexpect in a natural swimming pool. Ofcourse, a conversion comes at a price;costs will vary depending on factors suchas the existing pool size and type, andease of equipment access. However, ifthe concept appeals to you and you areprepared to invest in a conversion, it willliterally breathe new life into your pool,and married with the aquatic gardens,will transform your backyard into anaquatic oasis.
Jean-Marc Daigle is a landscape architect and president of Genus LociEcological Landscapes Inc. He can be reached at 905-939-8498, or [email protected].
- 18 -
Swimming Pool Conversions – A Natural Alternativeby Jean-Marc Daigle
