The City of Aspen says a natural filter at the Aspen Recreation Center pool has improved water quality.
The ARC pool has been using a type of moss to clean the water for nine months. In that time, staff says they’ve noticed cleaner air and water, and fewer cases of dry skin and green hair.
“Basically it’s a natural clarifier. It’s natural, it’s compostable, it’s awesome,” said Erin Hutchings, who manages operations at the ARC.
The sphagnum moss is in a tea-bag like case in the water, and it can help eliminate sweat, urine and body oils from the pool. This means the city can use less chlorine, and Hutchings said they’ve cut up to 10 pounds of it per week. But they haven’t cut out the chemical altogether.
“You’re never going to get away from using chlorine in all pool settings,” she said.
Hutchings helped start the program with an environmental grant from the city.
