Alternatives to traditional sanitizers   and filtration media

All-natural.   Biodegradable. Non-toxic.

By now, pool professionals have heard the hype over the latest   environmentally friendly purification and filtration alternatives. And many   are finding a captive audience among pool owners who seek “green” solutions   to their service needs.

But green, in many cases, is a concept that resides in the eye of the   beholder. Fewer chemicals up front could mean greater toxicity or increased energy   use on the back end.

“Of the 80,000-plus chemicals that are in the stream at the moment, only a   small handful have been studied for their health and safety impacts,” says   Maziar Movassaghi, Acting Director of the California Department of Toxic Substances   Control in Sacramento. “So there are many claims, but the efficacy of those   claims is really unknown in a lot of cases.

“The point is that claims of being greener may in fact raise more questions   than answers right now,” he says, “so you have to be careful.”

That said, following are some technologies or systems with swimming pool   service applications that could be considered environmentally friendly,   accompanied by thoughts from professionals on their own experiences. Note:   This is not an endorsement of any particular product or methodology.

Ionization-oxidation sanitizers
These hybrid water-purification systems typically involve a pair of   sanitizing agents that are used in conjunction with low levels of chlorine.

One such system supplies a dual stream of sanitizing metallic ions — often   copper and zinc — to the pool water. The copper ions work as an algaecide,   while the zinc ions act to kill bacteria. Another set of electrodes produces   active oxygen, which also seeks to eradicate organics, algae and waste   matter.
Weekly testing of pH and copper levels is required. And chemicals such as   muriatic acid or baking soda may need to be added to neutralize pH.

But manufacturers maintain the amount of metals dispensed into the pool is   low — typically much less than what might cause staining. And benefits may   include smoother-feeling water and less corrosion of pool surfaces.

“One of their claims to fame is that you can actually drink up to two gallons   of the water, and it still only produces the equivalent copper as you’d get   in a multivitamin,” says Dale Given, owner of Brite Pool Service in Arcadia,   Calif.

“Plus you avoid the bleaching of the skin and bathing suits that you might   get with [more] chlorine,” he adds. “And they use around 10 percent of the   energy as a salt cell system.”

Given has been testing the product in his own pool for some time, and he’s   been pleased with the results thus far. Plus, he says about half-a-dozen of   his route customers have requested the systems.

Though he’s taking it slowly, Given is nonetheless impressed with his own   personal experience. “So far it’s working,” he says. “And environmentally   it’s very sound — there’s no eye burn, no chloramines, and it’s cheaper to   run. The pool is very swimmable and very fresh.”

Catalytic enzyme/phosphate remover

These   systems use natural enzymes to break up contaminants and remove bacteria. And   weekly maintenance is said to be sufficient to prevent future algae growth   and maintain clear water.

Manufacturers claim the product, which is added straight to the water or   circulation system, is non-allergenic and nonflammable, carries a lengthy   shelf life, and is non-corrosive to decks and coping.

Service techs have found the systems create reduced chlorine usage, little to   no recurrence of algae, increased water clarity and stabilized chlorine   levels.

In spring, Todd Starner began converting about one-third of his 100 Tampa,   Fla.-area pools to enzyme sanitizers. In the first 30 days, he says, chlorine   levels increased slightly. But soon after the enzymes became active and those   levels steadied.

“It will give you the clearest water you’ve ever seen,” says Starner,   regional director of the Independent Pool and Spa Service Association’s   Region 11 covering Florida and Georgia.

“You can also manage your TDS levels better with it,” he adds, “and you can   knock down the bleach you’re using. It’s been my method for satisfying   customers who want to go green.”

They do tend to run more expensive than traditional bleach sanitizers (about   $.50 an ounce vs. around $.92 a gallon in some markets), according to   Starner, who uses 5 ounces per pool, give or take.
“The green concept always has a price,” he says. “But so far I’ve been very   happy with it.”

Cellulose fiber filtration media

Non-toxic   when backwashed, natural cellulose fibers are becoming popular replacements   for diatomaceous earth (DE) filtration. They also work as filter aids and can   help boost water clarity when used in cartridge and sand filters.

Cellulose fibers, which may resemble crushed paper, actually come from trees,   so they’re a non-silica-based renewable resource that’s also biodegradable.   And because of their makeup, they filter particles down to 2 microns in some   cases — finer than even DE, according to manufacturers.

Most types of cellulose fiber are very low in density, meaning much less is   required to achieve a similar filtration rate as DE. A shorter   backwashing/recharging cycle may occur following the initial application. But   once the water has been stabilized, those cycle times typically increase to   at least twice those of DE cycles.

In Ramsey, N.J., Bob Baron has been experimenting with cellulose fiber   filtration for some time. In fact, about two- to three years ago, he used the   fiber media on every pool along his residential route.

And though Baron did note cost was a concern among customers, making it more   difficult to distribute on the retail side, he still speaks highly of the   technology.

“I don’t have to breathe in the DE,” says the owner of Baron Pool Service. “And   it’s not clogging things up when we dump it into the waste lines. It’s a   better product for the environment — we use it in a lot of places.”

Sonic waves and metal removers
In the past few years, the service marketplace has seen even more purportedly   greener products emerge to address persistent problems like algae and heavy   metals in pool water.

Though still a relatively unproven technology for recreational aquatics use,   sound waves have been shown to kill algae and contaminants. These sonic   systems can be used in concert with aeration systems or UV filtration.

Much like a high-pitched shriek causes glass to shatter, these cleaning   systems emit complex sound waves to vibrate and allegedly break up algae   cells. Still, at this point they may be better suited for pond settings — or   large commercial vessels — than residential pools.

In contrast to traditional metal eliminators, another technology uses a   powdered chelating agent to quickly attach to heavy metals like iron and   manganese. The material acts as a sponge to absorb the dissolved metals, and   traps them in a bag that is immersed in the skimmer basket.

Also billed as nontoxic and biodegradable, this system is engineered for   fresh and saltwater pools, and does not interact with other pool chemicals,   proponents say.