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Giant Pool Built In The Backyard Has Waterfalls, Own Well, And A Subterranean Filtration System So Large That Experts Said It Would Not Work, But It Has Been Operating For Decades
When he decided he wanted a giant pool in the backyard, he wasn’t thinking of a standard blue rectangle with a concrete deck. He envisioned something deep, wide, with waterfalls, stones, streams, and plenty of space to swim, dive, and play with his family. The result, nearly three decades later, is a pool of about 500,000 gallons, measuring around 95 feet in both directions at its widest point, a diving board, a rope swing, waterfalls, shallow sandy beaches, and a subterranean filtration system that looks more like an industrial work than a household device.
For 29 years, this project was built gradually, during work seasons, cladding renovations, pump adjustments, and landscape improvements.
While many have hobbies like golf or hunting, he chose to build a giant pool in the backyard, piece by piece, against the disbelief of professional builders who assured him the filtration system would not work.
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Today, the project is mature, hosting children, grandchildren, friends, sports teams, and scout troops, but it remains, above all, his most cherished personal project.
From Weekend Hobby To The Largest Private Pool He Knows
Before the giant pool took over the backyard, he made a living running a furniture store. Building this monumental structure was never a business, but a hobby taken to extremes. He himself says that, when it comes to backyard private pools, he knows of none larger than his.
The decision came around age 39, after buying the house. If he was going to make the dream come true, he needed to start soon.
Instead of hiring a company to deliver a finished product, he took on the role of designer and builder: he designed the pumping system, planned the filtration, and thought about the waterfalls and water circulation.
Neighbors helped at crucial moments, like when he needed to spread a massive agricultural pond liner of about 3,000 pounds.
Over time, the backyard evolved from just a lawn to a space with personality: rocks, waterfalls, artificial streams, sandy beaches, and scenic elements like a hand-carved cedar bear greeting visitors at the entrance.
Dimensions, Depth, And A Backyard That Turned Into A Private Water Park
The giant pool occupies approximately 95 feet in both directions at its widest point, creating a water area that resembles a small artificial lake rather than a typical swimming pool.
The shallow area received 18 loads of sand, forming a “beach” where it’s possible to walk without touching the solid bottom.
In the diving area, the depth is impressive. If you drop an imaginary straight line from the tip of the diving board, it hits the wall about 12 feet below.
The point where the body actually enters the water reaches about 15 feet in depth. This depth allows for jumps, dives, and play reminiscent of a natural lake, not a residential pool.
Besides the diving board, there is a rope swing, a typical element of “old times” scenes in rivers and lakes.
Since there was no large tree on the property, he solved the problem in an unconventional way: he installed a telephone pole with about 10 feet of concrete at the base to secure it. The swing, according to him, ends up being more useful and fun than the diving board itself.
Waterfalls, Stones, And A Handcrafted Natural Scenario
From the beginning, the goal was not just to have a giant pool, but a natural setting. His wife didn’t want to look at blue and white floats dividing the shallow from the deep.
She preferred flowers, gardens, and a more organic environment. Horticulture was up to her, who takes care of the plants, flowers, and landscaping around the water.
The waterfalls are one of the owner’s favorite elements. You can sit behind the waterfall, look through it, stand underneath it letting the water fall over your body, and explore the space as if it were a cave.
To create the rocks and scenic elements above the water line, he enlisted a specialist in zoo scenography, Bernard Meck, responsible for exhibits in controlled environments.
This professional created the “tree,” the roots, the stump, and much of the rocks that now appear above the water, building everything in stages, a handful at a time.
The result is an environment where concrete and technical structures are hidden, giving way to a natural lake appearance with waterfalls and exposed stone.
Liners, Renovations, And The Evolution Of The Structure Over 29 Years
Building a project of this size in the backyard meant living with phases and renovations. The first major step was the excavation of the hole, which began on Labor Day in 1993.
Initially, the chosen liner was an agricultural pond liner, bought from a cooperative. This plastic liner lasted about five years.
Then, came the switch to a rubber liner, at which point the waterfalls were built and rocks installed, with about 80% of the stone seen today above the water.
This rubber liner lasted approximately 14 years until it was replaced again, this time with a spray concrete liner system.
The concrete has been there for about 10 years and, according to the owner, works without problems. Over nearly three decades, the giant pool has been redone in layers, with more durable materials and adjustments learned through experience. Instead of a unique project, it has been a sequence of improved versions of the same idea.
Own Well And Three Months To Fill 500 Thousand Gallons
Filling a giant pool of 500,000 gallons with water from the municipality would be financially unfeasible. Anticipating this, he dug a well on his own property. The water is of good quality, but the flow is modest, around 7 to 8 gallons per minute.
To solve this, he adopted a patient approach: he uses a barrel that receives the water hose from the well and from there fills the pool.
With this flow rate, it takes about three months, running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to fill the pool completely from scratch. This process has been repeated three times over the course of its history.
At the upper edge of the lake, he installed tubes around the entire structure, with holes every nine inches directed at different angles. These jets help aerate the water and prevent stagnation, contributing to overall circulation.
The Filter “Larger Than Most Pools”
The most impressive aspect of the technical part of the giant pool is the filtration system. Instead of following the standard solution suggested by pool builders, with large motors and three-phase pumps, he decided to test his own idea. He consulted three different companies and received the same response: it won’t work.
Nonetheless, he decided to proceed. The base of the system is a huge “well” beneath the bottom of the pool, about 6 feet deep, 16 feet wide, and 32 feet long.
Down below, there are about 459 feet of pond filter lining pipe, resembling PVC pipes filled with fine slits, designed to let water through but not sand.
On top of this structure, there is approximately 1.5 meters of sand, with a space of about 30 centimeters and panels on top, so people do not step directly on the sand.
Gravity slowly makes the water descend through the sand, achieving natural filtration. The water comes out clean from the bottom, is pulled up by the pump, and returned just below the surface.
The contractor who poured the concrete even commented that the filter was larger than many pools the company built.
Thirty years later, the system is still in operation, practically validating the idea that experts had dismissed.
Costs, Maintenance, And The Price Of Keeping A Private Lake
Over 29 years, the owner has been investing gradually, making it difficult to calculate exactly how much the giant pool cost.
He himself mentions that he has estimates, but not a fixed number, as the project was done in stages.
In the current routine, the largest fixed cost is chlorine. About 100 pounds of tablets are used per week, roughly a barrel every two weeks.
The electricity bill to keep the systems running is around $200 per month, throughout the year.
In a recent year, he decided to track all expenses related to the pool, excluding his own labor, and concluded that the total was high, but acceptable within the context of the life project he chose.
He sums it up simply: the 500,000-gallon backyard pool is the coolest thing he’s ever done.
The Giant Pool As A Legacy Of Memory, Not Responsibility
The giant pool has been the stage of family life for decades. The children grew up swimming there, the grandchildren jump, dive, try tricks, and play at the bottom.
Friends and relatives frequent the place, and over the years the space has hosted even sports teams and scout troops.
When asked what will happen to all this after he is gone, the answer is straightforward: it will not be his problem.
Until then, he intends to care for the pool as long as he can, maintaining pumps, filters, waterfalls, and structures in good condition.
The project, for him, is the realization of a childhood dream carried forward over nearly 60 years of life until it materialized in concrete, water, and sand.
Instead of an investment thought out for resale or to increase property value, this giant pool is, above all, a personal monument to an obsession that worked out, built gradually, against the opinion of experts and in favor of a fixed idea of family fun.
And you, would you take on a decades-long project like this in your backyard, or would you prefer a more modest and less labor-intensive pool to take care of?
Que Deus abençoe que você possa aproveitar bastante essa piscina parabéns.
Uau! Que homem inteligente!Amei!Linda demais essas piscina/lago.Incrivel.Deve ser maravilhoso nadar lá.Parabéns pra ele!💯❤️😍