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Natural Swimming Pools12-15-14 | News

Natural Swimming Pools

Thursday, March 12th - 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Presented by: Alan Weene
CEUs: TBA

Course Description:

Natural Swimming Pools (NSPs) are 100% chemical-free, ecologically harmonious, and healthful for humans and the environment. An NSP is a biologically active living system; the water is not sterilized or disinfected in any way. Rather, the water in an NSP is clarified and purified by beneficial microbes and carefully selected aquatic plants which are hydroponically rooted in a specially constructed regeneration zone. The water is mechanically circulated through biological and botanical filters to provide a clear, clean, safe, and chemical-free swimming experience. With nearly limitless design flexibility, NSPs can take on a traditional, formal look or can be very naturalistic in appearance and seamlessly integrated with the landscape. These sustainable watershapes offer a new and exciting way of thinking about swimming in all-natural water.

This presentation will offer attendees a general overview of NSP technology, including information on the history of NSPs from their origin in Europe to their inception in the United States and Canada, design aesthetics, basic construction fundamentals, principles of limnology and biological filtration, and aquatic plant selection.

Learning Objectives:

Be able to describe what an NSP is, name its parts, and describe their interrelationships.
Be able to give examples of single-chamber and multi-chamber designs and discuss different methods of construction.
Describe biological filtration versus mechanical filtration.
Define natural clarification and purification versus sterilization.
Understand the role of both public and private NSPs in the North American market and describe the European FLL Guidelines.

Biography:

Alan Weene is the Head of Marketing and Technical Support for BioNova® Natural Pools. A graduate of Connecticut College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Architectural Studies, Alan is currently a candidate for the Master of Sustainable Design Degree at the Boston Architectural College. Alan is an experienced swimming pool operator and pool service technician, and he has been teaching swimming, lifeguarding, and water safety courses for the American Red Cross and the YMCA for nearly 15 years. Alan's passion for sustainability and aquatics led him to join BioNova® in 2012, where he frequently conducts educational seminars on Natural Swimming Pool technology to educate homeowners, pool builders, and landscape industry professionals across North America.