What Is An NSP?2020-05-01T19:05:43+00:00

What Is A Natural Swimming Pool?

A Chemical-Free Pool Friends & Family Will Enjoy

Your friends and family will love it when you employ a completely natural, all biological system to clarify and purify your pool water. Aquatic plants along with natural microbes provide filtration the same way Mother Nature filters natural waters. Fun with family and friends, barbecues, parties, and summer evening relaxation make for instant vacations in your own backyard.

The Natural Way to Clean,
Clear Water

The additives commonly found in pool water are a direct contradiction to truly fresh, pure, natural swimming water. Chemically treated water is dead, poisoned water, intentionally made that way to create the artificial look we’ve come to associate with swimming pool water. If the odor of a heavily chlorinated pool doesn’t convince you it’s perhaps not the ideal environment, red, burning irritated eyes and dried out skin and hair should help to make the case for a better, organic, natural way.

Convert Your Sterile Pool Into A
California Natural Swimming Pool

Our proprietary biological filtration technology can be engineered to convert your existing chemical pool into a one-of-a-kind Natural Swimming Pool (NSP).

To purify the swimming pool water, the NSP ecosystem utilizes beneficial microbes as well as carefully selected aquatic plants which are hydroponically rooted in a specially constructed wetlands area known as the Regeneration Zone. Water is mechanically circulated through the Regeneration Zone where the plants extract nutrients from the water and out-compete algae for available resources, while the microbes break down impurities in the water the way Nature intended.

California Natural Pools are extraordinarily energy efficient compared to traditional, sterile swimming pools. The biological circulation loop can be operated 24 hours a day with approximately the same amount of energy as two 100W light bulbs. Because of the decreased energy use and the lack of chemicals, the long-term operational costs of NSPs are significantly less than for traditional pools. Additionally, NSPs promote biodiversity and habitat restoration, offer a very low carbon footprint, and are the most environmentally sustainable alternatives to traditional pools available on the market.

How Does our Filtration Technology Work?

At the heart of our Natural Pool system is the biological treatment “pond” or filter, consisting of an overflow vessel filled with specific filtration substrate and can include flora. Plants used for water regeneration can be supplemented with decorative flowering species to create a lush green environment in the contained water vessel. Microbes, microorganisms and the water plants ensure effective, continuous cleaning. In addition, the filtration technology we employ relies on a combination of hydraulic design techniques in conjunction with the proper equipment.

Materials such as leaves, pollen, dust or suntan lotion commonly found floating on the water’s surface are removed by a skimmer or overflow channel. These specially designed devices allow optimal skimming of the water surface and reduce silting. In the downstream, the biological filter removes and retains additional particulate matter before it moves into the regeneration zone. We hydraulically optimize water flow rates and volumes using high efficiency pumps and low flow plumbing. This combination of mechanically enhanced natural filtration ensures that you’ll enjoy natural, clean, clear water.

A Simplified Example of A California Natural Swimming Pool Design

Surface Cleaning

Water exits the swimming area by gravity through overflow gutters or skimmers, trapping leaves and other floating debris as a result. Easy to clean, these non-entrapment devices are safe for children and small animals.

Regeneration Zone(s)

In this planted zone, microbes and hydroponically rooted aquatic plants continue to break down organic impurities to help clarify and purify the water.

Biological Filter

Water passes through the biological filter. Here small particulate matter and debris is removed from the water without harming the essential and beneficial microbes of the living waters.

Energy Efficient Pump

An energy efficient circulation pump draws water through the filter and returns it to the pool or Regeneration Zone.

What To Expect From Your California Natural Pool

Maintenance

Upkeep required for a Natural Swimming Pool is very similar to that of a conventional swimming pool. Large debris will need to be skimmed from the surface and removed from skimmer baskets, brushing and vacuuming will be necessary to remove sediment as well as any biofilm or algae causing a slick film on entrance or exit areas. The major difference in the maintenance for an NSP is in the care of the water garden (Regeneration Zone). Just like caring for a terrestrial garden, some weeding, pruning, and trimming of the aquatic plants will be required. Any fallen leaves or organic debris should be removed to prevent the introduction of excess nutrients to the system.

Algae

Yes, you will get algae especially in the initial years during the natural process of “balancing”. Keep in mind you are “creating” an ecosystem – you don’t just build one. Because the water is biologically active and is not sterilized or disinfected in any way, there will be some sediment in the Regeneration Zone, on the pool walls and horizontal surfaces including algae. This “Biofilm” consisting of algae and bacterial communities which are actually beneficial to keep in the pool, but mechanical removal with a brush and vacuum is also acceptable. While there are natural substances that can be used to reduce the algae, it has been shown that the less interaction you have with the algae the faster the ecosystem will establish itself. As time goes on the natural balance will aid in this and cleaning maybe less frequent.

Wildlife

In our experience, a Natural Swimming Pool (NSP) does not attract any species that do not already exist in your landscape. Unlike a conventional pool which disrupts ecosystems and is not healthy for humans or the environment, a Natural Swimming Pool promotes biodiversity and helps to restore wildlife corridors. The appearance of insects such as dragonflies, zooplankton such as daphnia, amphibians, freshwater mollusks, and small reptiles are all signs of a healthy ecosystem and are welcome inhabitants of the NSP.

Pool Covers

Covers can be used on Natural Swimming Pools if the design allows. As with any pool, a rectilinear shape is required for an automatic cover. Also, plants in the Regeneration Zone cannot be covered as that would impede their growth.

Water Clarity

Expect the water in a Natural Swimming Pool (NSP) to look more like that of a pond. Much like a naturally occurring body of water, the water in an NSP will look a little bit different every day, but you should always be able to see the bottom even in the deepest areas of the pool.

Is A Natural Swimming Pool
Right For Me?

Are you health conscious, concerned about environmental sustainability, or interested in a unique and beneficial approach to a swimming pool? A California Natural Pool offers you the ability to provide your family and friends with a truly natural and organic outdoor living experience, in harmony with nature and free of harmful chemicals.

A California Natural Swimming Pool is intended to be maintained without any chemicals, salts and/or devices that would kill bacteria or other microbes or animal and plant life. The filtration, cleaning, and clarifying of swimming water takes place purely by hydraulic and biological processes. All swimmers should know that the water is not disinfected or sterilized by any chemical or mechanical means and that the vessel should be regarded as a swimming pond for considerations of health.

Natural Swimming Pools: The Natural Choice

If you’re considering constructing a new pool or remodeling an existing pool, consider all the factors, including healthier, organic living and the environment. Join the tens of thousands of Europeans who have chosen a Natural Swimming Pool and be part of this movement to make sustainable choices as this technology spreads “naturally” throughout California. Free yourself from chlorine and chemical maintenance while saving energy, enjoying a beautifully landscaped water environment, and being ecologically responsible.

Make the Natural Choice and let California Natural Pools provide you and your family with years of healthy recreation.

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