Peace and Environment News 
September, 1996 
 
Chlorine Alternative for City Pools 
 
by Carla Brown 
 
The City of Ottawa has finally found an alternative to chlorine for its  
public pools. The product is called "Natural Chemistry."   Mark  
Munford is the president of Natural Chemistry, located in Norwood,  
Ontario, near Peterborough. He explained that his product is made of  
non-toxic enzymes extracted from organic vegetables. 
 
"It's all we used when our kids were growing up," he says. "It functions  
as shampoo and soap."  Traditionally, public pools depended on  
chlorine, which would combine with organic waste in the water. The  
smell and itch which people associate with chlorine pools comes from  
the leftover chlorine that did not combine with the waste. 
 
Even with Natural Chemistry, the city will continue to use some  
chlorine because they have to have so many parts per million to keep up  
with regulations. But they won't have to "super-chlorinate" or "shock"  
the pool as often. Normally, they would overload the pool with chlorine  
once every two weeks, or up to forty times per year. With Natural  
Chemistry, the pools will be "shocked" only half as much. 
 
Steve Box, aquatic manager for the city, says it took years to find such  
an alternative. In 1989, the city tried using a saline solution in the  
Champagne pool, but found the process too costly. Now they have  
tried Natural Chemistry in the Pinecrest and Brewer pools, and are  
pleased with the results. 
 
"You don't get the same kind of scum line that you used to get with the  
chlorine," he says. 
 
Box estimates the city will save about $20,000 per year from using  
Natural Chemistry. That's because each "shock" costs $182, and they  
hope to have ten less shocks for the ten city pools each year.  Natural  
Chemistry is not only used in pools. Pet owners can use the product to  
clean up when their pet is being housetrained. Munford says it works  
particularly well on skunk spray.