A natural pool set up by Total Habitat

Natural pools are miraculous, gorgeous creations that use plant life, rocks, and other biological filters to eliminate the need for cleansing chemicals. They’re clean, they’re safe, and they’re absolutely beautiful. These natural pools have been big in Europe for a couple of decades now, with the first ones popping up in Austria and Germany in the 1980s. In the years since, they’ve seen a rapid increase in numbers. Today there are over 20,000 natural pools in Europe, including plenty open to the general public.

Minneapolis is about to open the first all-natural, chlorine-free public swimming pool in the United States. It’s called the Webber natural pool, and the project has taken over four years and $6 million of funding, not to mention the numerous legal hurdles and construction delays, but it’s finally coming to fruition.

The Webber pool features a shallow end and a deep end — like any good pool — and it also features an even deeper jumping platform, lap swimming lanes, and holds over 500,000 gallons of water. Every 12 hours, the entire half-million gallon pool slowly drains in and out of what’s called a “regeneration basin” filled with over 7,000 different aquatic plants rooted in gravel and limestone. The plants consume some of the bacteria and nutrients — the ones you wouldn’t want getting in your eyes — for growth, while the rest clings to the gravel.

Simple vacuums finish the job by keeping the actual pool surface clean, no chemicals required.

Read more here.