How to Make Your Concrete Pool Sustainable
In a dry continent such as Australia there are times when having a pool seems to be a total waste of water. However, once that concrete pool is in you can’t really take it out without it costing you even more so you might as well enjoy it. So is a concrete pool eco friendly in any way?
When you think of how long it will last with little or no maintenance, the answer must be yes. But don’t confuse maintaining the water quality with maintaining the actual concrete surface. The former must be done on a regular basis. That said, there are several ways in which you can make the pool – and the water in it – environmentally friendly.
- Studies by the University of Maryland have proven that moss-filtered pools need much less chemicals than normal pools. In addition, a great deal of water is saved by not having to back-flush when cleaning the pool.
- Some people cover their pools in the winter to save water evaporating and to help keep debris out. This saves a great deal on water usage. But it can also be done throughout the summer when the pool is not in use.
- In fact, the sun is not the only thing that evaporates water. Experts have found that a windbreak wall on the side of the prevailing breeze can reduce evaporation as well as keeping the water somewhat warmer.
- Making sure any small leaks are dealt with immediately will save a great deal more water than you might expect. If your pool loses one drop of water per second, that equates to 8000 litres over a year.
- If you prefer to take the chill off the water before jumping in, solar panels will take care of the power costs, even though you have to pay for the installation. While you are at it, add a few more and cut down on your electricity costs.
- Change the pool filter on a regular basis and use a water-saving filter.
- Try to prevent splashing in the pool to save on water is not likely to work, but see if you can get the kids to only splash in the centre of the pool. It might work.
One of the eco-unfriendly things about pools is that even with a salt based pool you are swimming in – and ingesting – chemicals, because the salt turns into chlorine when used in a pool setting. However, there is an alternative now and that is using the relatively new oxygen and ionisation system. The pump puts copper into the water to clean it and only has to run a few hours a week. There are no chemicals at all in this system and not enough copper to harm anything but the algae, which makes it super environmentally friendly.