Specialists in Water Management for Landscapes, Fisheries, Leisure and Conservation
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Swimming Pond |
We are still in the early construction stage of this project, creating a reinforced concrete swimming area. This section of the pond is in fact very similar to a conventional swimming pool as it will house bottom drains and skimmer boxes. These will be linked to a biological and mechanical filter system to strip out solids from the water body.
Surrounding the whole swimming area will be a shallow area, similar in size to the swimming area. Known as the regeneration zone this area will be heavily planted with aquatic marginal plants. To help minimise the nutrient loading within the pool we will use no soil in this area. Instead the plants will grow in a non-calcarious gravel media. Water will be drawn through the gravel, past the plant roots, by a second pump system. The plants will therefore strip the nutrients out of the water as they grow. To help keep the water well oxygenated, vital for the growth of good bacteria, we will return the water to the pond via a small rock cascade. This also helps to soften the whole structure and allow it to blend in with the surrounding environment. We will also incorporate a special edge detail to ensure that no storm water run off can enter the system.
To complement the pond and make it user friendly our workshop engineer is fabricating a bespoke deck and ladder out of hardwood. This, along with a short board walk through the regeneration zone, will enable our client to use the pond as if it were a conventional pool.
Apart from the obvious aesthetic improvement, a natural swimming pool has the added benefit of using no chemicals, great for those who have sensitive skin or just do not like bathing in chemically treated water.
We will add images here as the work progresses.