Minnesota Discovery Uses Moss To Keep Pools Clean and Clear

A Minnesota company is using all natural moss to help reduce the use of chemicals in pool water. The company, Creative Water Solutions of Plymouth produces dried compressed sphagnum moss inside of special porous bags that can be used by municipal pools, personal pools and spas.

Company co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Vance Fiegel says the properties of the moss have been well known for years, but it's application in swimming pools is news and dramatic, "Some people say it actually seems to polish the water; it has a very crystal look to it."

The moss doesn't kill germs, but it does inhibit their growth, so in essence it can't clean water, but can help keep water clean. In doing so, according to Vance, pool operators require fewer chemicals to maintain water quality.

The moss grows naturally in Minnesota, and the company is currently exploring using the locally grown product. For now, the moss is imported according to Vance, "We currently use a product from New Zealand, however it's prevalent in northern Minnesota also, there's vast tracks of sphagnum moss bogs in northern Minnesota."

The company estimates the cost for an average home pool in Minnesota to be between $30 and $100 depending on size.