Natural Vs. Traditional Swimming Pools |Pros & Cons

Natural swimming pools have been a fad in Europe since the 1970's, but they're just now gaining popularity in the United States. A natural swimming pool is a pond-like pool with no added chemicals. A vegetation area on the side of the pool cleans the water naturally. If you are in the process of pool purchasing and trying to decide between a natural and a traditional swimming pool, here are some pros and cons of each to consider.

Natural Swimming Pool

Pros

Natural swimming pools contain no chemicals. You never have to worry about harsh chemicals getting on your or your children's skin, hair, or eyes. Pool chemicals also get into the environment as your water slowly evaporates. You will reduce your carbon footprint on the planet with a natural pool.

Since the natural pool has no chemicals, it costs less in the long-run.

You never have to drain or winterize a natural swimming pool. In the winter months, your pool can freeze over like a pond, and your family can jump right in as soon as the weather is warm enough.

You don't have to do anything to clean your pool except skim the top of the water when build-up occurs.

The vegetation area or "regeneration area" cleans the water naturally. You never have to worry about the bacteria being at unsafe levels.

The vegetation area supplies natural habitats to wildlife.

Cons

Your regeneration area needs a wall between it and your swimming area. You basically need to build one small pool and one large one.

The water will never be completely clear. It will resemble lake water. However, building a concrete floor will keep it from getting muddy.

Circulation is essential for the regeneration area to properly cleanse the swimming area. You will need to spend money on a waterfall or a pump with PVC pipes to keep the water moving.

Traditional Swimming Pool

Pros

The water is always clear as long as it is properly maintained with chemicals.

The initial cost is lower than it is with a natural swimming pool. This is because you don't have to invest in a separate pool area, plants, or a circulation method.

If you need help with your pool, there are generally more experts for traditional swimming pools than experts for natural ones.

Cons

You have to keep the pool full of harsh chemicals. These chemicals will irritate your skin and eyes. Keeping the chemicals around your home for use adds a chance of them being ingested by children and animals.

The upkeep of the chemicals is costly. Owning a swimming pool for a few years will surpass the initial cost of a natural pool

In the winter you have to drain and winterize your pool to keep the pipes and foundation from freezing and cracking.

When the weather warms up, you can't just jump right in. You have to have the pool filled, add chemicals, and wait a couple of days for the chemicals to balance out.

Traditional and natural swimming pools both serve their purpose. They both give you a place that you and your family can swim. The two types of pools are so different; the rest solely depends on your taste. While it seems like natural swimming pools have more pros than natural swimming pools, not everyone will like the idea of swimming in untreated water. If you hate the pool chemicals, a natural pool is definitely for you. If you have to have the chemicals, a natural pool will never work. If the chemicals don't matter to you, consider whether you would rather have plant life around, if you can afford a higher initial cost, and if you would like to save money in the long-run.