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Natural swimming pools in Arizona

Swim in clear water with no chlorine, no salt and no chemicals. Here’s how natural pools work, how to convert the pool you have, and what it takes to build a new one in the desert.

How they workConvert my pool

10-minute read · By Jérémy Chevallier · Updated November 2026

A natural pool keeps its water clean the way a healthy pond does: with living things instead of chemicals. Plants and the tiny life on every surface eat what algae would eat, so there’s nothing left for a green bloom.

You still get a real pool. It can be a plain rectangle with a deck, a pond with a sandy beach, or anything between. The difference is the water, and how it feels on your skin and eyes.

We wrote this guide with Natural Swimming Pools, Arizona’s first natural pool builder. They design, build and convert natural pools all over the state, and we work together on the landscape around them.

How a natural pool stays clean

Every natural pool has a swim area and a cleaning area. Water moves slowly from one to the other, all day.

In the cleaning area, water passes over surfaces covered in a thin layer of helpful bacteria, called biofilm. That living layer eats the nutrients algae need. No food, no algae.

There are no chemicals, no salt cell, no UV light and no ozone. Those would kill the very life that does the cleaning. A low-power pump keeps the water moving, and the filter is open to the air, not pressurized, so it uses far less electricity than a regular pool pump.

The water is clear, but it’s alive. You may see a dragonfly or a little algae on a step now and then. That’s normal, and it doesn’t make the water unsafe.

Two ways to build the cleaning area

Most natural pools use one of these, and some use both.

  • A planted regeneration zone

    A shallow, planted area beside the swim area, like a water garden. It needs roughly as much surface as the part you swim in, so a 500 square foot pool wants about 500 square feet of plants. It’s the most beautiful option, and the one that brings birds and dragonflies.

  • A biofilm filter

    A compact filter box packed with material for biofilm to grow on, tucked away with the equipment. A filter about 40 square feet in size can serve a pool of around 500 square feet. It’s usually the lowest-cost way to go natural, and it fits small yards.

  • Both together

    A small planted area for looks and habitat, with a biofilm filter doing most of the work. Good when you want plants but don’t have room for a full regeneration zone.

Converting the pool you have

Most Arizona pools can become natural pools. The shell usually stays. What changes is the plumbing, the equipment and what goes in the water.

  1. A site visit and planning. The builder looks at your pool, equipment and yard, then puts together a conversion plan and a budget.

  2. Choose the cleaning area: a biofilm filter, a planted zone, or both, based on your space and how you want it to look.

  3. Change the plumbing so water flows gently through the new cleaning area and back.

  4. Take out the chemical systems: chlorinator, salt cell and the rest.

  5. Refill and let the biology settle in. The water is tested first, since city water can bring nutrients that feed a short algae bloom early on.

  6. Plant the regeneration zone, if you have one, and enjoy it.

A swimming pond being built: fleece and liner shaped into steps and a deep end.

Building a new natural pool

Starting from scratch gives you the most freedom: size, depths, shape and where the cleaning area goes.

There are three common ways to build the swim area. Modular panels of steel or composite are the most affordable. Gunite or shotcrete concrete is the most flexible and usually the most expensive. A one-piece fiberglass shell is smooth and easy to clean, but it has to be trucked in, which limits it to about 16 feet wide.

Bigger pools are easier to keep balanced, and builders often suggest 300 to 500 square feet or more, though smaller ones are built too. Depth can step from a shallow beach or ledge down to a deep end.

Then comes the fun part: waterfalls, streams, a sandy beach, a sun shelf, lounging ledges, a firepit and shade. The design works best when the pool and the landscape around it are planned together, which is where we come in.

Plan the pool and the yard together. Where the water sits, where the shade falls and where rain runs all affect each other.

Natural pools in the Arizona heat

The desert changes a few things, mostly for the better.

  • Warmer water

    The shallow cleaning area works like a solar heater, so natural pools often run warmer than regular ones. That’s great in spring and fall.

  • Summer heat

    In July, shade and a solar setup that cools the water at night keep it comfortable. Plan shade over the regeneration zone and part of the pool.

  • Evaporation

    Every Arizona pool loses water to the sun. Shade, wind breaks and a well-placed planted zone help, and an autofill keeps the level steady.

  • Dust and leaves

    A fine net over the planted zone during leaf drop and dust storms keeps extra nutrients out of the water.

  • Monsoon rain

    Keep yard runoff from flowing into the pool. It carries soil and nutrients. Grade the deck to drain away and send that water to your trees instead.

  • Lower power bills

    The slow, open-air filter needs a much smaller pump than a pressurized system, and it can run on solar.

What the upkeep looks like

No testing, no water balancing and no chemicals to buy or store. There’s still some care, just a different kind.

  • Empty the skimmer and pump baskets now and then.
  • Brush the walls and vacuum the floor. A robot cleaner helps.
  • Flush or backwash the biofilm filter every 3 to 6 months.
  • Trim the plants, pull the ones you don’t want and cut back for the season.
  • Net out leaves before they sink.
  • Expect a little harmless algae here and there, especially early on.

Chlorine, salt or natural

All three can give you a beautiful pool. Here’s how they differ.

  • Chlorine

    The most common. Clear and familiar, but you test and add chemicals all year, and it can sting eyes and dry out skin and hair.

  • Salt

    A salt cell turns salt into chlorine for you. Softer-feeling water and less handling of chemicals, but it’s still chlorine, and salt can wear on stone, plaster and nearby plants.

  • Natural

    Living filtration instead of chemicals. Gentle on skin and eyes, safe for birds and pets, and less power to run. It looks and behaves more like a pond, which is the point.

Common questions

Will a natural pool attract mosquitoes?

Not usually. The water keeps moving, and a healthy pool brings dragonflies and other insects that eat mosquito larvae.

Is the water as clear as a regular pool?

Yes, once the biology is established. It may not have that bright blue look, but you can see the bottom.

Can I convert my salt pool?

Yes. The salt system comes out along with the other chemical equipment, and the plumbing changes to run water through the new cleaning area.

How much space do plants need?

A planted regeneration zone needs about as much surface as the swim area. A biofilm filter needs far less, often around 40 square feet for a 500 square foot pool.

Does it still need a pump?

Yes, but a small one. The water only needs to move slowly through the cleaning area.

Do I still need a pool fence?

Yes. Arizona and city pool safety rules still apply. Ask your builder what your city requires.

Who builds them

Natural Swimming Pools is Arizona’s first natural pool builder and has been building since 2019. They design new natural pools, convert existing ones and take care of them. We design the yard around the pool: shade, plants, rain and how it all fits together.

See Natural Swimming Pools in our directory.

Talk to both of us

Tell us about your pool or the one you want. Your request goes to Permascaping and to Natural Swimming Pools, and we’ll follow up together.

“Permascaping transformed my front yard into a sustainable, beautiful oasis. … The team’s expertise and attention to detail were outstanding, creating a low-maintenance, eco-friendly landscape that I absolutely love. … Highly recommend Permascaping for anyone looking to elevate their outdoor space in Arizona!”

Miles Zeisberg, on Google, August 2025
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Photos: swimming pond by Arquus, CC BY-SA 4.0; pond construction, public domain, from Wikimedia Commons. Facts on sizing and care from Natural Swimming Pools.

Swim in living water

A pool that feeds birds and dragonflies instead of a chemical bill.