Natural swimming ponds

09/28/2009 - 05:34

Has anyone any experience of creating a biological swimming pond (piscina biologica naturale)? That is, a pool or pond for swimming which is kept clean naturally without the use of chemicals? For example: Mike

Topic

Gardening

Property

Location

Abruzzo

Chieti Province

Comment

What a great idea!

We are having plans drawn up for one of these pools. The area in which we live, Tuscany, has just passed a law that says that there can be no more 'blue' pools. Therefore our only option would be to have one of these bio lakes. We can have up to 120m2 of lake (although the area for swimming in will only be approx half of that). Costs I think are going to be very high.Our neighbour has just had a 'blue' pool constructed. (He got his plans approved before the laws changed) and his pool has cost him 12,000 euros plus some landscaping costs. We have heard that costs are about double or more for a bio lake but if anyone else has some ideas on cost then that would be really useful.Do not think that these pools need to look natural. You can have them edged in stone and rectangular so they look like a normal pool. You also do not need reeds sticking out of them unless that is what you are looking for. If you are spending a significant amount of money on this then I suppose the last thing you want is to have your new bio lago looking like a farmers pond.Good luck with it and keep us informed.

I would like the name of company that constructed your nebours pool, i am just getting quotes for a pool 9 by 6 in Le Marche and there in the 32.000 mark without excavation costs.

We paid (excluding excavation) about €25000 for our liner pool which is4m x 12m with a integrated paddling pool of 2 x 2. Still haven't worked out loading pictures but you can see pictures on flickrChris

Fantastic pool and house ! That seems a really good price for the pool-you've obviously found a good builder. Do you remember how much the excavation was too? I guess it was done by the same builder or was it a pool firm.? Nice restoration work.ciao Shas

Bio pools are great - but they work better in northern climes - in the south of Sicily there is just too much sun and you can't stop algal blooms. Or, you build a filter bed that is 3 times the size of the pool - bear in mind that you must have oxygenation and you must have running water, or it will be mosquito heaven apart from anything else. There are some good companies now, that do bio pools, but the more filter bed you have the better your swimming pool

Here is a very interesting website:Basically if you can make then big enough & some way of accessing the deep part easily then it can be just a natural pond with plants & a few fish to keep the mozzies awaySomething like this:There is a bit if d.i.y. info on the web too.By the way if you are a registered farmer then you can apply for a "cisterna" for agricultural purposes. Many of them look a lot like swimming pools...........it is considered bad form to paint them blue though!Salve

first link doesn't work chris and the 2nd is a repeat of the one in the first post here.

Sorry about that, meant to post the BBC one, now corrected.The first link still works for me, I have re-pasted it anyway! Thanks

One of Chris Stewarts books describes a natural pool being built in Spain- loads hotter than Italy where he was and it eventually worked.I have been a hater of the blue pools for many years - particularly for rural areas so I wish you well with the project although if its anything like my attemps to be find green or ecological building materials in Abruzzo you'll need it!!!

So is the issue that it just cant be the usual bright turquiose or that it has to be "biological" ? And when did this law happen in Tuscany? I'm not likely to ever have enough cash to build one anyway but if I did I was going to do it with grey concrete which I think looks less artificial in the landscape. Also does anyone know any thing about having to fence the pools off if theyre near or in a village and is there a minimum distance from the public access or whatever? I have a futur plan to locate mine in the olive groves,away from the house but dont really want to surround it by huge iron railings or whatever? I also know of a tuscan law that the pool somehow has to be at least partly above ground is this still current? As I said though-its all but a dream at the moment..shas

We have a pool at our hous ein Le Marche and went for a sand coloured liner as we think the blue loooks too artificial. I understand from the guy who did our pool that this sort is allowed in Tuscany. If I can work out how to do it I will post a photo. It is otherwise a normal pool with chlorine and filters.Chris

and very nice too with its appeal to wildlife etc and I find a modest sized pool with filter and the block chemicals kept to a minimum easy to look after and you are assured of not swallowing the odd dead hornet and not swimming round in green murkiness. As for "blue" the bottom can be any colour you like I guess