I laid out the conceptual design for a natural pool a few years ago, although the client chose not to proceed, partly out of fear of the problems reported in Minnesota. Ongoing, reactive maintenance and planting design are critical components of designing a successful natural pool, as well as a willingness to experiment and maybe not achieve 100% success up front. For example, in our area (southeastern Pennsylvania) geese would definitely pose a problem, but might be mitigated by using tall, dense native grasses in the treatment area and around the pool (geese like clear sight lines). Other creative solutions (dogs, fox dens, fountains) might work in the right context or might create even more problems. To avoid bacterial problems, I suggest "overdesigning" the wetland treatment area of the pool.
In a risk-averse world, my guess is these will remain a niche market, which would be a shame.
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John Zollers EIT,A.M.ASCE
Engineer
AECOM
Philadelphia PA
(215)606-0408
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-13-2019 10:04
From: Natalya Sokolovskaya
Subject: Natural swimming pools
One of the experiences that drove me into the field of Environmental Engineering was finding fewer and fewer natural places to swim while growing up. When I came across this article about a public natural swimming pool in Minneapolis, the idea of a more natural swimming pool really resonated with me.
https://www.parksandrecbusiness.com/articles/2017/3/minneapolis-goes-all-natural
However, the practical implementation seems to be expensive and not without problems (such as extensive maintenance and multiple closures due to elevated bacteria levels from wild fowl).
https://kstp.com/news/webber-natural-pool-water-quality-issues-minneapolis/4994032/
Do you think these system will become more widespread? Have you designed or seen one (apparently, they are more widespread in Europe and Australia). It just seems like such a cool idea...
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Natalya Sokolovskaya P.E.,M.ASCE
Wynnewood PA
(323)382-6176
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