Pool² (Zürich)

A Swiss consortium for the design and realization of biobaths

Pool² is an association of specialized Swiss companies with the objective of competently processing and realizing projects for public and semi-public natural or organic pools. Pool² designs, projects, realizes and accompanies any biobath project in the whole of Switzerland and is the only provider of complete services for biobaths in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, most public outdoor and indoor pools are still operated with chemical water treatment. Only a few pools are designed with biological water treatment. Many public swimming pools were built several decades ago. Their renovation will be pending in the next few years and the question often arises whether the bathing facility can also be operated as a biological bath with natural water treatment.

For the conception, the project planning and the construction of public biobaths, various specialist competences are required. At the core, this is certainly biological water treatment, but topics such as open space design, civil engineering, hydraulics, sanitary engineering, etc. are also part of a successful swimming pool project. Only when these individual disciplines are well coordinated can a well-functioning, low-maintenance biobath be created.

In recent years, a great deal of research has been carried out in the field of biological water treatment for pools, and new products, applications and construction methods have been developed on the basis of the knowledge gained. The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in cooperation with the Swiss Swimming Pond Association has played a major role in this research. pool² works closely with both institutions. Current recommendations for project planning, construction and maintenance of public organic pools are published in the "Fachempfehlung für den Bau von öffentlichen, künstlich angelegten Badegewässern (ÖKB)". Pool² orients itself in its projects to this professional recommendation.

According to today's state of the art, public pools can also be designed with biological water treatment without any problems. Such naturally treated bathing water has the quality of drinking water and does without any chemical disinfectants. Disadvantages such as burning eyes or allergic reactions to chemical substances do not exist with biological baths. The maintenance of bio-baths is similar to a bath with chemically disinfected water, but is much more ecological and sustainable. The most modern filter systems work energy-efficiently and economically.