A swimming pool is a lot of fun and a great exercise but if you really care for your health consider a natural swimming pool. Without any chemicals, they are good for you and for the nature around you.
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A classic pool in your backyard has one big disadvantage: it uses chemicals like chlorine, directly tied to health problems in frequent swimmers. One elegant solution for that is a natural swimming pool. You are not building a pool; you are building an ecosystem that takes care of itself. There's no chlorine, no filters, no electricity needed for pumps, no artificial additions, you have a small, natural lake in your backyard.
Contrary to some other natural, eco-products, natural pools are not expensive to make. You need a hole in the ground, some water plants and - water. The nature will take care of the rest, you'll have to clean leaves now and then and that's it. But they are not only cheap to make, because there's no additional maintenance cost they are cheap on the long run. And there's another advantage: thanks to their organic look you can fit them easily to any environment, from a rural backyard to fancy Los Angeles suburban home.
How natural pools work? They have two main parts: in one you are swimming, in another your plants are swimming. Plants are there to filter the water and remove bacteria and other things that would make your pool dirty. Water lilies, duckweed, and cattails are used but other plants may be in the cleaning area too. Any insects or other small creatures have a natural habit among the plants so you don't have to worry you'll have to swim zigzagging between frogs. While we are at the animals, those water creatures eat mosquitoes and you won't have to worry about them either.
When you have those two main parts, water is circulated by pump through a plant filter (if you are in a warmer climate it's better to use gravel filters) and it is coming back to your swimming area clean and clear. Approximately once a month you can remove sediment with a pool vacuum cleaner. There are no special demands for the plants area - there are no special demands for a lake, right? If you are absolutely an eco-aware person you can use sterilized soil.
Your swimming area you can make to your heart desire. It can look like a traditional square swimming pool, it can be in a circular shape, it can follow you road to the backyard house, whatever. The more organic look, the more natural it will be. When you decide what shape you want, you must make a hole in the ground and put some concrete on the bottom and sides, you may also use a rubber liner or waterproof bentonite. You will decide guided by price and availability.
And that's basically it. You can already see that you will spend the most time thinking about the pool's shape and design, where to put plants, what flowers to plant around it, what stones to choose to complement a natural look of the lake, should you put a young tree here or there... The building of the pool is no longer a job that you have to do, it's pleasure. And when it's done you can easily add something here and there and change its look as you wish. Much more interesting than a squared, lifeless thing every neighbor has, isn't it? ■
