No disinfection chemicals. No chemical residuals in the water.
When we describe Mineral+Biome® as a chemical-free pool system, we mean this: no disinfection chemicals are used in day-to-day operation, and no harmful chemical residuals are present in the swimming water.
What we do not use for routine water treatment
Mineral+Biome® does not rely on chlorine (in any form), bromine, salt chlorination, copper or silver ionisation, or any biocide or disinfectant for the routine maintenance of water quality.
These are the chemicals responsible for disinfection byproducts (DBPs): compounds such as chloramines, trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that form when disinfectants react with organic matter in the water. DBPs are associated with skin and eye irritation, respiratory problems, and longer-term health concerns. Mineral+Biome® produces none of them.
Pathogens are eliminated by biological nutrient removal and predation. The beneficial bacteria established in the Mineral+Biome® substrate out-compete pathogens for resources and actively predate them. Remove the phosphate, nitrogen and carbon pathogens need to survive, and they cannot grow. No disinfectant required. This mechanism has been independently peer-reviewed and published in Nature Water, confirming 99.9% pathogen elimination through biological nutrient removal and predation, without any disinfection chemicals.
What we do use
The biofilter: the primary mechanism
The heart of the Mineral+Biome® system is the biological filtration substrate. Beneficial microorganisms established in this substrate remove phosphate, nitrogen and carbon from the water continuously and passively. This is what maintains water quality. It is also why no disinfectant is needed.
Phosphate management agents
To supplement the biofilter, small quantities of phosphate-binding agents are dosed automatically. These bind to phosphates and organic matter and are removed from the water during backwash. Testing to confirm residual levels is ongoing and we will update this page when complete.
Mineral supplements
Beneficial minerals including zinc are added at 0.2 to 0.5 parts per million, a concentration comparable to trace minerals found in spring water and well within safe drinking water standards. The carrier is food-grade acetic acid, the same compound as culinary vinegar. These minerals contribute to the soft, odourless water quality Mineral+Biome® is known for.
Pool start-up and one-off contamination events
When a pool is first commissioned, or after a heavy one-off contamination event, the phosphate load in the water can be significantly higher than normal. A good example is runoff from fertiliser used near the pool: a single event can introduce phosphate levels that would take the biofilter time to manage alone.
In these situations, phosphate-binding agents are used at higher doses to rapidly reduce the phosphate load and restore the conditions in which the biological system works most effectively. Once the phosphate level is within range, routine dosing returns to trace levels and the biofilter takes over again.
This is not a sign that the system requires chemical support in normal operation. It reflects the same principle as any biological system: start it with the right conditions and it sustains itself. Disturb those conditions significantly and a targeted correction restores them.
Hydrogen peroxide: occasional use only
In specific circumstances, such as restarting a pool after an extended shutdown or addressing an exceptional water quality event, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) may be used. It breaks down entirely into water and oxygen, leaving no chemical residual in the pool. It plays no role in routine operation.
Why the distinction matters
Chlorine works by remaining present in the water continuously at 1 to 3 parts per million. That residual is intentional. It is how chlorine disinfects. But it also reacts with organic matter to form DBPs that accumulate in the water and the air above it.
Mineral+Biome® works differently. The biological system removes the conditions pathogens need to survive. Any maintenance agents used bind to their targets and leave the water. No ongoing chemical treatment. No smell, no irritation, no stinging.
A note on terminology
We are aware that “chemical-free” is technically imprecise. Water itself (H₂O) is a chemical compound. When we use it, we mean free from harmful disinfection chemicals and free from chemical residuals in the swimming water during normal operation. If you have questions about the system’s maintenance protocol, speak to our team.