Natural and Living Pools: An Alternative to Chlorine
Last Updated: Mar 20, 2025There are over 10 million residential pools and more than 300,000 public swimming pools across the United States. The vast majority of these pools rely on huge amounts of chlorine and other pool chemicals to keep the water clean and supposedly safe. However, the problems associated with chlorinated pools go far beyond the burning sensation in your eyes after a long summer swim.
Below, we take a look at the problems with conventional chlorinated pools and offer some natural alternatives for a healthier, more beautiful, and more ecologically friendly way to cool down during the next summer heatwave.
Table of Contents
- Health and Ecological Risks of Chlorinated Pools
- What is a Natural Pool?
- Where Was the First Natural Pool?
- What Is a Natural Pool Regeneration Area?
- What Are the Benefits of Natural Pools?
- The Bottom Line
What is a Natural Pool?
Natural pools (also known as natural swimming ponds) are built bodies of water contained by isolating membranes where no chemicals or devices are used to sterilize or disinfect the water. Instead, the pool's water is purified and sanitized through biological filters and aquatic plants rooted in the pool system. Unlike chlorine and other “sanitizing” pool chemicals, the cleansing and filtering agents in natural pools have biological counterparts in the natural world. In essence, natural pools take their cue from nature with water purification methods.
Where Was the First Natural Pool?
Natural swimming pools first began in Austria and spread through Europe, where today, there are thousands of residential natural pools on the continent. In the United States, natural pools are slowly beginning to gain acceptance. The first public natural swimming pool was opened by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board earlier this year. The swimming area's 20,000 square feet at the Webber Natural Swimming Pool holds 500,000 gallons of water recycled every 12 hours through biological filters of 7,000 aquatic plants rooted in limestone and granite layers.
What Is a Natural Pool Regeneration Area?
Natural pools contain a regeneration area, mostly contained within a smaller, separate body of water. In this regeneration area, the water is cleaned, filtered, and oxygenated by aquatic plants such as cattails, water lilies, reeds, etc. A small solar pump is used to circulate the water from the swimming area to the regeneration zone. In some cases, the water is also passed through a gravel filter to ensure all bacteria and potential pathogens are purified before reentering the swimming area.
What Are the Benefits of Natural Pools?
Natural pools provide a refreshing dip in the pool without having to worry about swimming through potentially dangerous chemicals that dry out your skin and hair. The aquatic plants in the regeneration zone attract beneficial water bugs, dragonflies, and other natural predators of mosquitoes, meaning that you won’t have to worry about your natural pool breeding ground for bugs.
While conventional pools need to be drained every year before winter and release thousands of gallons of chlorinated water into the surrounding environment, natural pools can freeze over—making them much easier to maintain while also reducing negative environmental impacts.
Companies Offering Natural Pools
While designing and building a natural pool could be a DIY project that you spend years implementing, several companies specialize in building beautiful, wholesome natural pools.
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
