We have done some checking on the pond vs. pool discussion that seems to be going around the industry these days. Here is an AQUA Magazine article about blending both.
Here is a Pool Guy Original – pond with mine shaft waterfall…Sometimes disagreements boil down to semantics. This may be the case with the pond vs. pool discussions. The basic definition is that an aesthetic water feature, which is not intended for swimming and especially if it has fish in it, is a pond.
If it is designed for swimming, it is designed to meet the same health and safety standards as for any swimming pool. Swimming Pond, Bathing Pond, and Natural Swimming Pool, all refer to a closed in body of water that has been designed to swim in, AND provides its own water filtration through selected plants and other water features. There is no chemical disinfection. Plants in and around the pool or in a separate, but linked, body of water are designed to maintain hygienic standards. Swimming Ponds are contained ecosystems.
It is possible for a swimming pool and a natural swimming pool (NSP) to look very much alike. Attention to standard design and construction that meet code requirements are the same. Disinfection is the big difference. Are you adding chemicals to the water to keep it safe for swimming or have you created the proper environment with plants, gravel, sand, and soil to protect the swimmers?
Swimming Pools – Natural or Chemical Cleaning
Basically when you try to decide if your new pool should be a Natural Swimming Pool (NSP) you need to consider:
Space: An NSP takes up about twice as much area for the same amount of swimmable space. Much of this will look like extra cool landscaping.
Maintenance: All pools need to have their skimmers cleaned and debris fished out. If it is not a NSP, you will be pouring in chemicals and maintaining filtration equipment. You do have to keep the plants alive for the NSP – this is the main reason it has be so big, since swimming over and among the plants would cause all kinds of problems . Plants need space to do their thing and protection to stay alive.
Looks: A natural swimming pool will have natural elements, like some algae, it may not always look sparkling clean. Your choice of plants depends on your climate. Most pond plants are just green.