Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Organic Natural Swimming Pools

Organic Pools (Natural Swimming Pools or Swimming Ponds) allow nature to provide hygienic water for swimming. The vibrant ecology of plants and animals condition the water so there is no need for any chemical disinfectants. Consequently the water won't sting your eyes, bleach your skin, attack the enamel on your teeth or make your swimming costume fall apart. These pools are healthy for people and wildlife. In fact the water quality is so good, many are well within drinking water standards, including the pool featured here. David Pagan Butler will show you how he made a pool for a fraction of the cost of a commercial installation by using recycled materials and readily available domestic plumbing. 
David Pagan Butler has made films for the BBC on Natural Swimming Pools. Featured in the current (Winter 2010).

This pool is about 180m2 in total. The central swimming area is 4.5m x11.5m and 2.2m deep. It took me a couple of years of weekends and days off to complete and cost around 6000GBP.
Over the past five years, building my own pools and meeting experts on Natural Swimming Pools, I have re-thought the processes needed to create hygienic swimming water and I have come up with a system completely geared to fellow DIY pond builders. I try to minimize resources, incorporating reclaimed materials and I even make filters from reused household objects and domestic plumbing. In addition, my pools use a fraction of the electrical energy most Natural Swimming Pools require to maintain them. All of this is achieved without compromising healthy water. The water was recently tested and shown to be of drinking water quality. And of course, these pools have been designed to benefit wildlife - they are a nature reserve you can swim in! I hope by showing you how I've done it, you will be inspired to start digging for yourself.

A concrete block wall defines the swimming area. The wall is 1.1m high and floor of the swimming zone is 2.3m below ground level. Around the swimming zone, the earth has been compacted and smoothed to form a basin shape. Thiswill become the planted zone.
The (white) fleece underliner protects the liner from small sharp stones. The liner has been unrolled ready to pull across the pool.
The liner is pulled roughly in place.
The liner is folded smooth in the swimming zone. Geotextile fleece is laid over the outer area and is retained by the start of the sandbag wall.
Sandy subsoil covers the overlining for the planted zone. (Actually I have skipped quite a lot of detail here. Drainage pipes have been laid within a layer of gravel under the sand layer.)
In the winter the pool fills up with rainwater.
An area of gravel creates a beach for access to the pool. A wooden jetty has been built for diving into the swimming zone and some steps for a gentle introduction to the shallows. Plants are flourishing and the water is clear.


  1. I am wondering what the upkeep is on these pools. What kind of time commitment is involved in maintaining these natural pools? And does the water really stay clear?

  2. Tasunke, According to the links the natural pools are virtually maintenance free, clink onto the links attached more details. ;)

  3. Wow! I want this organic natural pool! I think my wife and kids will like this. It's very relaxing to see! Is it expensive to have this?

  4. My friends were always telling me about the benefits of salt water in a pool. The important benefit to me is that saltwater is way eco friendly and less corrosive to the skin. Frankly, I didn’t like monitoring my chlorine maintained pool that often, so I did something about it and looked more online for saltwater alternatives to a swimming pool around my area in Davie. Miami Pool Tech provided me with an immediate solution when I skimmed through their website. They were ready and willing to install, renovate and recheck at my convenience as soon as I got unto them. After hiring their team of pool attendants, my new saltwater pool was frequently checked and maintained crystal clear. For more of their eco-friendly installation services, look them up on