Naturalised pools represent the future of pool design and construction. This innovative concept not only provides a space for recreation and relaxation, but also promotes biodiversity and offers healthier and more stable water.
In this article, we will explore in depth what naturalised pools are, their benefits, the different designs available, and important considerations for their maintenance and sustainability.
And most importantly, if you already have a chlorinated pool, how you can naturalise it without building work.
These pools use aquatic plants and biological filters to keep the water clean and balanced, eliminating the need for chemicals such as chlorine. The structure of a naturalised pool generally includes two main areas: the swimming area and the regeneration area.
There are various options for naturalised pools, whether they are non-technified, technified or even fully technified, in which several zones are distinguished that fulfil a function.
These areas are as follows, and can be in the same pool or separate, establishing different relationships between them and with the environment:
- Swimming zone. This is the volume of water in which bathing is practised.
- Regeneration zone. This is the space in which plants grow. In a natural swimming pool it can represent from one sixth to one half of the total surface.
- Biological filter. It can be from a gravel surface integrated with the plants (biological filter + regeneration zone) to a small drum filter of reduced dimensions.
- Other filtering zones. The natural pool may need technical spaces for electrical panels, pumps or other additional filters.
Benefits of naturalised pools
Naturalised pools offer numerous benefits for both users and the environment. Here are some of the most important ones:
Water and energy savings
Unlike traditional pools, there is no need to renew the water periodically. In addition, they use low-consumption pumping systems that significantly reduce energy use, resulting in long-term economic savings.
Health and absence of chemicals
Naturalised pools do not use chemicals such as chlorine, which can be harmful to health. This is particularly beneficial for people with sensitive skin or allergies.
Integrated Personal Experience:
Unlike chlorine purification, natural pools do not use chemicals, which are harmful to our health.
Maintenance similar to conventional pools
Although maintenance is required, the tasks are comparable to those of chlorinated pools. The work is limited to periodic surface cleaning and some annual tasks, such as checking the pumping system and caring for the aquatic plants.
Landscape integration
Naturalised pools blend harmoniously into the landscape, creating an appearance similar to natural spaces. They can be designed to mimic ponds and lakes, which enhances the aesthetics of the environment and increases the visual value of the space.
Integrated Personal Experience:
Allows for an appearance closer to natural spaces. It is also comparable to the aesthetics of contemporary pools.
Promoting biodiversity
A naturalised pool creates a diverse and balanced ecosystem, both within the pool and in its immediate surroundings. Aquatic plants and microbial life contribute to biodiversity, benefiting the environment and providing a more natural and attractive space.
Integrated Personal Experience:
Harnessing these water points to generate biodiversity and healthier, more stable water is a great opportunity to seize.
Swimming pool facilities; from a swimming pool or non-technified pool.
These are pools in which the swimming space, the regeneration area and the biological filter are included in the same pool. On one or more sides of the pool, the regeneration surface is reserved, building a barrier with sufficient height to guarantee the retention of the aggregates and plants, but the volume of water is unique, there is no significant separation between the plant area and the swimming area.
The separating element allows the water surface to be unique. In this type of natural pool, the recirculation of water through the regeneration zone can be carried out naturally by the convection of the water as it is heated by sunlight.
Swimming and regeneration area in separate pools or natural pool with technification
In this case, the swimming area and the biological filter are built in two different pools.
The swimming pool may or may not have the appearance of a conventional swimming pool, whose water is led through the circulation system to the regeneration pool, which can be integrated as a pond next to the pool in the garden. In this case, it is important to ensure the efficient movement of water through the pool’s pumping and circulation system, so that it is able to carry the entire volume of water to the purification system.
Fully technified natural pool
The ecosystem of bio-pools is subject to a process of proliferation of filamentous and unicellular algae over a period of time, causing aesthetic and health problems.
In order to avoid this, natural pools with technology are used to guarantee perfect functioning from the beginning.
This type of natural pool is generally used to guarantee perfect operation from the start.
What is the technification of a natural pool?
The technification of swimming pools consists of the incorporation of a series of pipes and a pumping system, which causes the water to recirculate continuously without having to have large masses of water for this purpose.
This allows the system to be optimised, reducing the surface area of the regeneration zone, and complementary filters can also be added to eliminate part of the organic matter.
Depending on the filters that we introduce in the system, it will have a slightly different operation.
Here are some examples of the configurations that can be found:
Biological filters of gravel and plants.
This is the most basic level of technology.
It consists of a system of pipes that are connected to the regeneration tank, absorbing the water by means of a pump and pumping it through the biological filter and the regeneration zone.
If the design and calculation of the plant filter is done correctly, it is not really necessary to have additional filters to maintain the quality of the bathing water.
Biological gravel and plant filter + mechanical filter.
This consists of introducing a mechanical filter.
It consists of a system of pipes that are connected to the regeneration tank, absorbing the water by means of a pump, and impelling it through the biological filter and the regeneration zone.
If the design and calculation of the plant filter is done correctly, it is not really necessary to have additional filters to maintain the quality of the bathing water.
Biological gravel and plant filter + ultraviolet filter.
The ultraviolet filter removes suspended organisms in the water so that the water becomes clear.
To achieve transparency through an ultraviolet filter we consider that it is not the most suitable option for a natural swimming pool because of the following reasons:
- It eliminates the phytoplankton filtering organisms.
- It unbalances the ecosystem
- It can increase the amount of filamentous algae in the pool.
These are just a few examples of the possible options that can be used. It is clear that you do not have to use all of them, but you should carry out a sizing study of the natural pools to find out what is the most suitable.
All this type of information can be found in our online course on natural swimming pools.
SingularBlue system to transform your chlorine pool into a naturalised pool
At SingularGreen we have designed this system, the SingularBlue, which allows the conversion of a conventional pool into a natural pool in a simple way.
The SingularBlue system is composed of a biological filter made of gravel of little thickness (10cm) with a phosphate reactor and a specific selection of submerged plants. This system reduces the surface area of the biological filter installation and the regeneration area, reducing materials and installation time.
Here is a timelapse of the conversion of a natural swimming pool that we carried out.
If you would like to see how this swimming pool system is assembled step by step, you may beinterested in this article.
Naturalised pools: considerations and challenges
Despite their benefits, naturalised pools are not suitable for everyone. The closer relationship with nature means that they may require more attention and care compared to conventional pools. In addition, appearance and maintenance may vary according to the user’s preferences and needs.
Integrated Personal Experience:
The options for this type of pool are endless, but always keep in mind that the relationship with nature is greater and that means it is not for everyone.
Naturalised pools are an excellent option for those looking for a sustainable and ecological alternative to traditional pools.
They offer multiple benefits, from water and energy savings to improved health and landscape integration. Although they require a different approach to design and maintenance, the advantages far outweigh the challenges.
With proper planning and care, a naturalised pool can become the centre of a beautiful and balanced ecosystem, providing a space of enjoyment and well-being for all.
