OP here, I was really talking about man made swimming ponds like the ones above, not ponds that occur naturally.
We know people in Europe who have access to one in the community that we plan to visit. It has the fancy filtration and all that, but I wonder if one of us needs to be told early (now) that they can not swim there. Or maybe just pick a different vacation.
There is little in the way of public health information on these new systems.

I grew up swimming in a pond (in Massachusetts). It is just lovely. Clear, clean fresh water.

I hate that there are no swimmable ponds here.

Knew of someone who was hospitalized after swimming in the ocean. Got really sick and had a nasty rash. Of course, this was over in Santa Monica Bay, one of the most polluted bodies of water.

My grandparents had a pond when I was growing up. It was man made, they had it dug. It had fish in it and it had a mud bottom and weeds.

It is like swimming in an ocean where you can't see through the water and there are fish, seaweed, and rocks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Were there frogs or any other animals in it? Did you put your head underwater?

Good Lord, have you lived an antiseptic life or something?

No, just wondering how clean the water is. Also, one immuno-compromised person in the family.

Stay away. The algae will literally kill this family member

I don't know why the sarcasm. The OP said she has one immunocompromised person in her group and public health authorities suggest that those people not swim in untreated fresh water bodies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was drying myself off after a swim in such a pool when a celing fan fell and chopped off part of my nose. The irony?
Drs found meningitis-causing bacteria in it from when I had been swimming in the outdoor pool. That falling fan cost me my nose, but it saved my life.

for real?????????????????

Anonymous wrote:I've even been swimming in the Potomac. Gasp!

Now THAT is nasty!

I am curious about how clean these pools really are. I would expect some contamination from animal droppings, but in the public arena, human waste could be a significant problem.
Also, the water is dark which makes visibility tricky. That could be problematic when trying to rescue someone at the bottom.
Overall, they are much prettier than regular pools.
I am not aware of any such pools in this area though.

Anonymous wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbrGneg3X4

cool vid
thanks

Anonymous wrote:I was drying myself off after a swim in such a pool when a celing fan fell and chopped off part of my nose. The irony?
Drs found meningitis-causing bacteria in it from when I had been swimming in the outdoor pool. That falling fan cost me my nose, but it saved my life.

for real?????????????????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbrGneg3X4

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a cement pond in Beverly Hills at the Clampett's.

OMG. Awesome.

OP, without a filtration system, the water will become stagnant and become a breeding ground for algae, at best.

They have a natural filtration system through soil and gravel. They all have some kind of pump.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/natural-swimming-pool-zmaz02aszgoe.aspx#axzz2oIpQKBWy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_pool

http://www.inspirationgreen.com/natural-pools-swimming-ponds.html

These are referred to as natural pools or swimming ponds.
They are man made.

Anonymous wrote:It is lovely. However, if there is someone immune-compromised, I presume you should ask the doctor.

Ocean and lake swimming are big nonos for certain conditions.

+1

Not a bid deal, if you are healthy. If there are immune system issues, ask the doctor.