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- History of Swimming Pools
People have loved swimming and soaking in water since… well, humans have always loved water, from what historical records show. Put human beings next to any body of water, and it’s only a matter of time before one of us decides to take a dip, the results of which are influenced by little factors such as current, waterfalls, alligators, leeches, and the local water’s bacterial load. Swimming in nature is not without its risks! Swimming pools took away most of those concerns (although gators occasionally crop up in Floridian pools). However, the history of pools is a fascinating story in and of itself. From when pools were invented, who first decided that artificial pools were a great idea, and how the swimming pool has evolved since its early beginnings, the history of the swimming pool is a story worth diving into.
When were pools invented?
Just when swimming pools were invented depends on how you define a swimming pool. The earliest man-made pools of note were the Great Baths of Mohenjodaro in Pakistan. Built in 2600 B.C.E, give or take a few centuries, the Great Baths were constructed from plaster-covered bricks, sealed with a tar sealant, and surrounded by terraced decks.
While the Great Baths certainly sound like a swimming pool, it’s thought people used them primarily for religious reasons. No one was swimming laps at Mohenjodaro, so while definitely an ancient, artificial pool, the Baths don’t quite fit the modern swimming pool definition.
So when were swimming pools invented? Historians often point to the Greeks and Romans as the first cultures to build pools designed specifically for swimming. In both cultures, bath houses existed, but like Mohenjodaro, they weren’t exactly swimming pools… or were they? According to Archaeology Magazine, Roman culture prioritized physical fitness. Romans in particular were known to exercise at bath houses, even incorporating games (especially ball games, so beach ball isn’t necessarily such a modern concept!) into their visits. Some baths, such as the natatio in Pompeii, are even visually similar to pools today, complete with tile work and decoration. Interestingly, the very word natatio exists in modern languages descended from Latin. Natación is the word for swimming in Spanish, and English has its own similar word – natation, though its use has declined significantly since the late 1800s.
Who invented the swimming pool we know today?
After the Romans, there’s a bit of a gap in the history of swimming pools, at least in Western culture. Turns out the wars, plagues, and general unrest of the Middle Ages weren’t conducive to advances in swimming facilities. It was back to lakes and oceans for swimming fans until the middle of the nineteenth century.
The first public indoor swimming pool in England was a salt-water pool called St. George’s Baths, which opened in 1828. By 1837, London boasted six indoor pools. Of course, one can’t talk about swimming in that era without also commenting on the unique poolside fashions of the era. In Bath, ancient peoples embraced the natural hot mineral springs for relaxation and recreation alike. As the English community continued to enjoy the waters, local leaders eventually called for some sort of designated swimwear. The term bathing suit was born out of this!
Early bathing suits were, especially for women, on the cumbersome side. They tended toward modesty, and often were constructed with heavy materials like wool. Of course, women eventually rebelled against this heavy, inconvenient fabric, but we’ll wade into that topic shortly.
The history of swimming pools in America
The first swimming pool in the USA was built in 1868 in Boston. The Cabot Street Bath was a combination swimming and bath house. Given that its location was in a neighborhood where few people owned baths, it’s easy to assume the pool was less than ideal by today’s hygiene standards. Modern filtration methods weren’t around until 1910, and the only way to clean a pool was to drain it and refill it with fresh water. Public pool owners didn't want to do this more than was necessary, so the water could get pretty nasty in the days before a scheduled draining.
Taking a look at swimwear in America reveals its clear descent from the bathing suits of Europe. Initially, it was just as modest and cumbersome as its fashion ancestors… until one Australian swimmer stepped onto the scene. Annette Kellerman, who is now credited as being one of the first women to embrace a one-piece swimsuit, was actually arrested in Boston in 1907 for her fashion choices on a local beach. Within the next half decade, however, the one-piece took off… especially when women’s swimming was featured in the 1912 Olympics!
As swimming fashion continued to evolve, swimming pools remained a popular way for city folk to beat the heat in the years before air conditioning. The filtration systems developed in the early twentieth century only increased pool popularity. 1910 also saw the invention of gunite by Carl E. Oakley, which allowed for affordable home pools. Luxury hotels began adding pools in the 1930s, and by the 1940s, private pools had become status symbols. The popularity of the home pool increased after WWII as GIs who learned to swim during their military service returned home and used the GI bill to buy homes.
Fast forward to today, and the USA boasts over 300,000 public swimming pools. It’s estimated there are more than 10 million home pools across the country. Today, swimming pools are even aligned with the concept of the American Dream, enhancing comfort and relaxation at homes across the nation. This concept is even embraced at the White House... President Gerald Ford immediately made his presidential home more comfortable by adding a pool in 1975. Swimming pools have become a fixture of American life, and we’re better for it! (And for modern filtration. Seriously, the water at Cabot Street Bath must have been horrible!)
The future of swimming pools
While swimming pools have come a long way over the years, innovation is an ongoing process. As we previously mentioned, filtration skyrocketed pool enjoyment by introducing swimmers to cleaner, more dive-in-friendly pools. Pentair took it a step further when it introduced the IntelliFlo®, which was the first variable speed pump in pool industry history. Variable speed is more energy efficient than single speed, as it can run at a low flow rate (or speed) for a long period of time with short bursts of higher speeds to skim debris from the surface of the pool water. This focus on energy efficiency didn’t end there – IntelliFlo3®, the third generation of variable speed and flow technology, pushes the boundaries of innovation and introduces even greater energy efficiency to customers.
And that's just skimming the surface (see what we did there?) when it comes to energy efficient solutions in the pool industry. From pumps and filters to lights like IntelliBrite®, owning a pool in this day and age doesn’t have to break the bank with utility bills.
Humans have always loved swimming, and the future of pools is bright. From evolving fashions to new technology, time will only bring more exciting opportunities to make poolside memories… as our ancestors have been doing for generations.
Want to learn more about the future of pools? Hear what Jerome Pedretti, Chief Executive Officer of the Pentair pool business, says about the future of the swimming pool industry.
