The Healthier Swimming Directory has moved to piscinasana.wikidot.com in order to provide a clearer, searchable directory as well as interactive forums.
Why the change? Since this directory project began three years ago, the number of locations of safer, non- or low-chlorine pools listed here has expanded to the point that it's difficult to scan for locations in the blog format. The new directory will make it easier to find pools in your area.
Éire (Ireland)
Blarney Park Hotel & Leisure Centre, Blarney, Cork: purification method unverified; contact pool staff
Westwood Spa (Thalassotherapy Pool), Sandymount, Dublin: seawater, 25 m
España (Spain)
O2 Centro Wellness, Marbella, Andalucía: tratada con ozono (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Servei d'Activitat Física, Universitat Autònomia de Barcelona, Catalunya: ozonització (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Deutschland (Germany)
Spreewald Therme, Burg/Spreewald, Brandenburg: natürlichen Salzwasser therme (natural saltwater hotspring)
Stadionbad, Hannover: Ozon gereinigt (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Holstentherme, Kaltenkirchen, Schleswig-Holstein: Ozon gereinigt (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Badzentrum, Sindelfingen: Ozon gereinigt (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Naturfreibad, Mettmann, North Rhine-Westphalia: biologische Aufbereitungsanlage (Geomatrix biological treatment)
France
Piscine Olympique de Deauville, Calvados: saltwater (eau de mer) [contains chlorine]
Treziroise / Espace Aquatique de Plougonvelin, Finistère: saltwater purified (traité avec eau de sel) [contains chlorine]
Piscine Municipale de Dinard, Ille et Vilaine: saltwater purified (traité avec eau de sel) [contains chlorine]
Centre Aquatique du Moustoir, Lorient, Morbihan: traité avec ozone [reduced chlorine]
Italia (Italy)
Piscina Olimpica, Turin: trattato con ozono (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Κύπρος/Kıbrıs (Cyprus)
Bernie's Bar, Baspinar-Lapta, Kyrenia, North Cyprus: Necon Ionisation system, 20x5m, chemical-free
ADA Hotel, Kyrenia, North Cyprus: PoolSan treatment (health impact of sanitation method unverified--please provide independent research report links in comments)
Vaha Spa and Health Club, Kyrenia, North Cyprus: PoolSan treatment (health impact of sanitation method unverified--please provide independent research report links in comments)
Nederland (Netherlands)
Sportcentrum de Meerkamp, Amstelveen: ozon gezuiverd (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Zwembad De Heerenduinen, IJmuiden: ozon gezuiverd (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Bad Hesselingen, Meppel: ozon gezuiverd (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Suomi (Finland)
Itäkeskus, Helskinki: otsoni (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Kallio, Helsinki: otsoni (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Malmi, Helsinki: otsoni (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Mäkelänrinne, Helsinki: otsoni (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Ruoholahti, Helsinki: otsoni (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
Vuosaari, Helsinki: otsoni (ozone purified) [reduced chlorine]
United Kingdom
England:
Greenacres Fitness Club, Greenham, Berkshire: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Nantwich Outdoor Brine Pool, Nantwich, Cheshire: brine from underground source [reduced chlorine]
Truro Leisure Centre, Truro, Cornwall: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Ulverston Leisure Centre, Ulverston, Cumbria: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Flamingo Pool, Axminster, Devon: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Cheltenham Ladies College Sports Centre, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: ozone purifed [reduced chlorine]
Havant Leisure Centre, Havant, Hampshire: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Waterlooville Swimming Pool, Waterlooville, Hampshire: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Loughborough University Pool, Leicestershire: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Dulwich College Sports Club, Dulwich, London: purification method unverified
Hampstead Heath Ponds, London: natural, untreated
Holmes Place Fulham Pools, London: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
LA Fitness, Marylebone, London: Poolsan
LA Fitness, Piccadilly, London: Poolsan
Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre, London: UV [reduced chlorine]
Virgin Active Health Club, Northampton, Northamptonshire: UV [reduced chlorine]
Loftus Leisure Centre, Loftus, North Yorkshire: purification method: check with facility
Bernard Matthews Olympic Pool, University of East Anglia, Norwich: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Cotgrave Leisure Centre, Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Arnold Leisure Centre, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Barton Pool, Oxford, Oxfordshire: saltwater [contains chlorine]
Ferry Sports Centre, Oxford, Oxfordshire: saltwater [contains chlorine]
Rosenblatt Swimming Pool, Oxford University Sports Complex, Oxford, Oxfordshire: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield, South Yorkshire: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Crown Pools, Ipswich, Suffolk: UV purified(?) [reduced chlorine]
Leatherhead Leisure Centre (Diving Pool), Leatherhead, Surrey: Poolsan treatment (health impact of sanitation method unverified--please provide independent research report links in comments)
Westgate Leisure Centre, Chichester, West Sussex: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Tidworth Leisure Centre, Tidworth, Wiltshire: UV purified [reduced chlorine]
Droitwich Spa Brine Bath Complex, Droitwich Spa Hospital, Worcestershire: brine from underground source
Holmes Place Various locations throughout UK: ozone purified [reduced chlorine]
Scotland:
Stonehaven Leisure Centre, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire: seawater? (unverified)
Leisuredrome, Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire: uses recycled glass filtration system and [reduced chlorine]
Mercat Gait Centre, Prestonpans, East Lothian: purification method unverified, contact pool staff
Know of a non- or low-chlorine swimming pool in Europe? Please click on 'comments' and tell us about it.
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45 comments:
Any one know of a Clorine-free pool in Ireland?
Germany:
Brandenburg:
Spreewald Therme in Burg/Spreewald, natural saltwater
Hi, well done on doing this - I've needed a directory like this for a long time! I love swimming but after swimming in chlorine pools every day for over a year I developed an allergy to it. I hardly ever get to swim now as it gives me a nasty rash, but I will try out some of the pools listed here. The Oxford University Rosenblatt pool is lovely, I used to be a member for about a month, but the chlorine in there still irritated my skin badly. Some people might get on ok with it though.
I have another one you can add to your list - Nantwich in Cheshire has a wonderful outdoor brine pool (I believe it's the only inland brine pool left in England). It's open May to September, and is a joy to swim in. It does get quite crowded on sunny days so you have to be prepared to dodge children etc but it's worth it.
Hope this helps, keep up the good work!
THE FLAMINGO POOL in Axminster in devon is UV disenfected - not completely free of chlorine but is very low. also has one of the only pay and play hydrotherapy pools in the country - a real warm water treat for my kid !!
Thank you so much for doing this- I spent hours searching the web for a chlorine-free pool in South East London. Apparently there are some in private health clubs but I'm still yet to find one....
Buxton Spa pool, Peak District (natural mineral water)
Loftus Swimming Pool, near Middlesbrough in the UK.
ez
In The Netherlands:
De Meerkamp; Amstelveen; www.meerkamp.nl
Bad Hesselingen; Meppel; www.badhesselingen.nl
De Heerenduinen; IJmuiden; www.zwembadvelsen.nl
Belgium - Brussels - Schaarbeek 'the Neptunium' is the only swimmingppol in Brussels that is purified with ozone...
thalassotherapy pool in dublin is at the Westwood club Sandymount.25 metre sea water pool. www.westwood.ie
Also, Droitwich Brine Baths, Worcestershire was not on your list. www.brinebath.co.uk
There is a public pool in Wells, Somerset, UK that uses ozone treatment to clean it's pools. They have jacuzzis' too!
Hampstead Heath in London has 3 completely untreated outdoor swimming ponds.
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~archaeology/hampstead-heath/ponds/ponds.htm
Cheltenham Ladies College Sports centre - www.clcsportscentre.co.uk is ozone-treated, and is a 25 metre swimming pool - useful if you want to swim rather than use a spa.
Hi,
Just rang Wells leisure centre and they DO NOT use ozone anymore - its back to chlorine, which means unless anyone has any ideas I can't take my son swimming, as I have a severe allergy and I really dont want him to miss out. We are near bristol - but are willing to travel - but didn't really want to have to got to london! lol
Thanks, Caitlyn
The new Mercat Gait pool in Prestonpans East Lothian (best pool in e lothian by the way) I believe it's either non chlorine or very low chlorine. There is no smell or skin reaction I would normally associate with chlorine, also the water is very buoyant.
As someone who has cancer in the lungs, diagnosed 18 months ago, I haven't been swimming since to avoid the chlorine. My local club was closed on at leas 2 occasions because of dangerously high levels! I'd heard that pools in Spain and France didn't use chlorine so I decided to ring round all local private clubs to see if any had been adventurous enough to use alternatives. I found one: Greenacres Fitness Club in Greenham near Newbury in Berkshire. England. They use ozone with some Chlorine. I visited the club and went in the pool area. There was not the slightest hint of Chlorine odour. They also fill the pool to overflowing which, apparently, ensures that the chlorine in top few inches of the pool is lessened. I don't understand this point - perhaps someone else understands the science behind this. Carl
the diving pool at leatherhead leisure centre in surrey is cleaned using poolsan and has no chlorine in at all. you can swim it it at any time and it is brilliant - no smell, no chlorine. well worth a trip to swim in it.
BUXTON pool in Derby I am unhappy to report uses full cholorine in their pools.
i believe pretty much all the pools at holmes place clubs around london are ozonated and have minimal chlorine (they say 25% the usual amount)
http://www.holmesplace.com/
I think Havant Leisure Centre in Hampshire is chlorine free, check it out.
LA Fitness health club in Piccadilly uses poolsan and has no chlorine
The Badezentrum Sindelfingen near Stuttgart treats both the indoor and outdoor pools with ozone. The website is www.badezentrum.de
UK - Greater London:
The Virgin Active Health Club (former Holme's Place)
at The Lido, Baths Road in Bickley, Bromley BR2 9RB seems - according to their website - to have a 25m chlorine free pool. Anyone tried this pool?
Does anyone know of a chlorine-free pool in Wales, UK?
I did a google search and came up with a chlorine free pool in Polar East London, Tower Hamlets. Also at the Sutton and Cheam Swimming Club.
I have been swimming two or three times a week now for about 10 years, eek hope that does not mean I am totally toxic. Anyway my local pool just had a refurb and since then I am getting a really nasty hot red rash all over. Anyway I am super environmentally conscious and dont use any products in my home or on my body that contain chemicals so it seems completely ironic to jump into a pool of chemicals on a regular basis! I'm in south west london so will try the holmes place and virgin active, but dont really think I can afford them. I'll stay in the pool for a much shorter period, hopefully that might help!
There is a pool in Tidworth, Wiltshire that is cleaned by UV with minimal use of chlorine.
Cotgrave Leisure Centre near Nottingham uses UV treatment with residual chlorine
LA Fitness Marylebone have recently switched to Poolsan treatment (no chlorine)
hi,
ozone purified water in the public pool: Stadionbad, Hannover, Germany.
50m x 22m, 10m tower, 26°C.
Dulwich College (London SE21) sports club has a chlorine free pool.
Pools with UV system as part of their sanitization still require a small amount of chlorine to keep the volume of water in the pool bug free.
Correct sizing of the UV will enable the pool to be run with much lower chlorine than a pool with out UV.
UV will help reduce harmful chloramines as well as kill bugs such as Cryptosporidium that are becoming an increased problem in pools around the country.
Please be aware that salt or brine swimming pools still have chlorine in them, the only difference is a system known as electrochlorination derive the chlorine out of the salt solution in the pools as apposed to dosing in from a separate holding tank.
For further information contact me
alloyfish@yahoo.com
I am so pleased you have decided to do this. Its a much needed list. It took me days of searching to find you though.
I need an ozone or UV treated pool near Amersham in Buckinghamshire UK. So S Bucks/S Hertfordshire. Anyone know of one?
I was reading recently that the amount of chlorine the body absorbs from showering & baths in tap water is one likely cause of bladder cancer!! I know you can dechlorinate your home system but its expensive and as I am renting at the moment..... Anyone heard of an alternative?
lake district. ulverston leisure centre. uv purified.
Hi There. Outdoor pools are a viable alternative to non chlorinated pools when it comes to breathing in nitrogen trichloride. It is possible to search for UK outdoor pools using the sport england website (www.activeplaces.com).
This page also has information about asthma and swimming pools.
Swimming pool asthma
A nice ozone-treated pool in the Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre, operated by the Holmes Place Lifestyle Club & Spa:
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/WAWHIHI-Hilton-Warsaw-Hotel-and-Convention-Centre/index.do
The 1 Aldwych hotel in central london use something called poolsan and the pool has no chlorine in at all. I stayed there at the weekend and it was lovely
From the manager of Havant and Waterlooville leisure centres (horizonlt.com
"Thank you for your email enquiry about chlorine in swimming pools. The use of Ozone means that the Trust is able to run the pools at a lower level of Free Chlorine. Currently the set point for both Havant and Waterlooville is 1.0ppm.
Pools that do not use Ozone or Ultraviolet Radiation will have a free chlorine level above 1.5ppm.
No strong smells at either pools. This is synonymous with dirty pools. High levels of chloramines (sweat, skin other body products) react with chlorine to produce the 'chlorine smell' that you refer to
Water Ph can also affect 'smarting' of eyes as well as aggravating skin conditions such as eczema. The Ph of your eyes and skin is around 5.5. Water (in this region) has a Ph of 7.2 so is slightly acidic, hence the reason why skin can sometimes feel dry and tight. For chlorine to work at its best pool water should have a Ph balance of between 7.2 and 7.4. Readings above this are not disastrous or dangerous it just means that more chemicals need to be added which could affect your condition."
I'm going to try it and see but am still looking for something 100% chlorine free in Hampshire. If anyone knows of anywhere (including private health clubs) I would be very interested email: michelle at wildlime dot co dot uk
Thanks for a helpful site.
Re. pools in Hampshire, the leisure centre swimming pool at Chichester is ozone and I didn't react to (minimal?) chlorine levels there.
Also, Stonehaven, on the NE coast of Scotland, has an outdoor heated swimming pool that is open during the summer and is filled with salt water from the North sea.
Aberdeen's Tullos swimming pool is also ozone I believe but when we tried to visit it was shut - we're not sure whether that was due to council budget problems or a one-of problem.
Need to correct the Nantwich listing as yes it is a brine pool HOWEVER, the pool maintenance guy there told me on the phone that is fully chlorinated JUST like the indoor chlorinated pool. There was NO difference at all. Very sad as I am STILL looking for a UV or ozone or Grander System treated pool. Even a private one that I could pay the owner to allow my children to use to learn to swim.
The Virgin pool in Northampton is UV filtered.
Outdoor chlorinated pools are just as dangerous as indoor:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE48N99020080924
anyone know of a chlorine-free pool in The Hague, Netherlands? Thanks!
Shoalstone Outdoor Pool in Brixham, Devon is saltwater
anyone know of a chorine free pool in the kensington area in london??!!! please help!! south kensington preferably but anywhere in kensington would do...
Hi - Market Sports Club in Shoreditch use PoolSan and have no chlorine in their pool
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