Everything About Natural Swimming Pools: Pros & Cons

Fact checked by Alexandra KayFact checked by Alexandra Kay

A natural swimming pool brings to mind a lake or pond in the backyard, so anyone who wants a body of water that blends into its surroundings should consider a natural swimming pool. These plant-rich and eye-catching pools are gaining popularity for their unique look and eco-friendly properties.

Here's what you need to know about this type of pool, including the pros and cons compared to a regular pool, installation information, and how to choose the right plants for it.

What Is a Natural Pool?

A natural pool is a swimming pool that uses plant life to maintain the water instead of chemicals. They use walls, filters, and plant life to keep the water clean.

Pros and Cons of Natural Pools

When deciding if a natural pool is right for you it is important to understand what you will be getting into. A natural pool does not use chemicals but instead requires a section of the pool that is just for water filtration. This would make a smaller-sized natural pool unfeasible because of the space requirements.

Also, since there is plant life involved, natural pools cost more to install than their more traditional counterparts. Over time however, cost to maintain a natural pool should be less because of the lack of chemicals needed and, if properly designed, absence of maintenance during the pool season.

Natural pools are also more environmentally friendly because of the lack of chemicals. They also provide an environment that can be a nesting area for frogs and other wildlife. Also, natural pools have an added benefit of not irritating skin or eyes because they do not require chemicals to clean the water, thus making it an excellent choice for someone that would like a pool but is sensitive to chemicals.

Pros

• Does not use chemicals
  

• Lower maintenance cost
  

• Environmentally friendly
  

• Does not irritate skin or eyes
  

Cons

• Uses part of pool space for filtration
  

• Higher installation cost
  

• Small pools are unfeasible
  

• If not properly designed the pool will not work correctly

Design and Cost

Designs for natural swimming pools often mimic the classic shapes of traditional swimming pools. You can opt for a sleek rectangle that complements the soft, organic plant life floating in the water, or perhaps a kidney or gently curved shape that recalls that of a lagoon. 

Surrounding the pool with wispy grasses, wildflowers, or even a border of river rocks will work well with the found-in-nature aesthetic of this style of pool. River rocks can also make a lovely base, but you can also opt for tiles in natural stone materials for a look and feel closer to a regular pool.

When selecting your plants, select a mix of emergent, submerged, floating, and marginal plants (more on those below) that feature different shapes and textures. You can play just with shades of green, or select flowering plants with vibrant blooms.

Natural swimming pools typically cost more than traditional swimming pools, clocking in at around $50 to $100 per square foot, with an average overall cost ranging from $75K to $150K. It is important to remember that, while the initial cost will be higher, the overall operating cost is much less than a regular pool.

Installing a Natural Pool

Installing a natural pool differs from a standard pool installation in a few key ways. For a standard pool, you would dig a hole to put a frame with a liner inside and then backfill to the frame. You would dig a hole in the same manner for a natural pool, but the hole becomes the pool instead of housing a supporting structure that is put inside the hole.

After the hole is dug and the walls have the proper slope (which should be at an approximate 1:3 slope to mitigate mud slides), you lay out the swim zone and the plant zone. This ratio is very important because if it is incorrect your pool will not function correctly. The plant zone creates a mini ecosystem that results in the pool cleaning itself, so it must be done right.

Once you have the areas of the pool marked out, you seal the ground so when the pool is filled the water stays in and doesn't drain out. Simply lay down a thick plastic liner on top of the dirt—it is the easiest and most popular method. The liner is then covered with 4 to 5 inches of gravel to create a bed for good bacteria to grow — this will also help with the ratio of natural life to swimming space in the pool.

With the hole dug and sealed and the zones laid out, the next step is to add a way for you to get in the pool. Since the slopes on a natural pool can be too steep to walk down but too shallow to jump into, natural pool owners sometimes build a dock that extends out into the pool to allow people to enter the pool past the shallow part and into the main swim zone. You could also install stone steps or build up the side walls slightly to help secure the dirt walls.

After your steps or access route is in and the hole is dug and sealed, you must add your plants. Do research on what kind of plants (and how many you will need of each) will be able to keep your pool clean in your specific environment as this varies depending on your geographic area.

Best Plants for Natural Pools

Chemical-free natural pools rely on perennial plants and water flora to act as natural filters that keep them clean. In addition to the controlled use of algae, there are four main types of aquatic plants used for natural pools (and ponds):

• Emergent plants: Tall grasses, rushes, and reeds, such as papyrus

• Submerged plants: Rooted below the water's surface, such as pondweed and water hyssop

• Floating plants: Floats on the surface of the pool, such as water hyacinth and duckweed

• Marginal plants: Grows around the edges of the pool, such as swamp hibiscus
  

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to maintain a natural swimming pool?

Natural swimming pools don’t require difficult maintenance. Skimming them once a week will keep the surface free of debris. No chemicals are needed; the plants living in them help keep the pools clean, naturally. The regeneration zone (the underwater plant area) should be cleaned of any twigs, leaves, and debris once per month.

What’s the most budget-friendly way to build a natural pool?

To build a natural swimming pool on a lower budget, opt for a smaller size and lower-cost materials. For example, a typical pool liner will be more cost-effective than a base of rocks, tile, or clay.

You can also pair back on any special features, like waterfalls or outdoor lighting, and create visual interest with just the necessary plants.

Do natural swimming pools attract pests like mosquitoes?

Natural swimming pools are actually pest repellent. The moving, aerated flow of the water keeps mosquitos away and at bay.

Read the original article on The Spruce.