Canadian content creators Crystal Drinkwalter and Jazmyn Canning have finished building a natural swimming pond on their 65-acre property. They spent about $52,000 (approximately £40,000) on the project.
Hiring professionals could have cost them up to $200,000. The couple, known online as the “Vanwives,” have hundreds of thousands of followers. They shared the months-long building process across their online platforms. Speaking to People magazine, the couple explained why they wanted to build a natural swimming pond. “There’s something about swimming in fresh water that leaves you feeling so refreshed.” The project required a lot of manual work, special digging machines, and more than 100,000 pounds of rock.
They also arranged for eight commercial water trucks to fill the large, 110,000-gallon pond.
Hands-on heavy lifting
After receiving high quotes from professional pool and pond builders, which reached as high as $200,000, Drinkwalter and Canning decided to do the groundwork themselves on their rural property. Building a natural swimming pond means creating a balanced natural system. Water plants and special areas that filter water naturally take the place of chemicals such as chlorine and bromine.
To build the edges and deep swimming area, the couple moved 100,000 pounds of stone and rock.
They brought in heavy machinery to dig out the area. Then, they added a protective base layer, rubber liners, and strong stones to build the pond. Along with moving heavy materials, the couple got help from Quiet Nature, a company that designs ponds. The company helped them make sure the water could move properly and that the natural filtration system would work as needed.
Sourcing the water supply
After the digging, lining, and stonework were finished, filling the 110,000-gallon pond became another challenge. Instead of depending only on rainwater or taking water from local groundwater wells, the couple brought in eight large water trucks to fill the pond. The total cost came to about $52,000. This was much less than the quotes they received from professional contractors. Drinkwalter and Canning first became known online for converting a camper van and building an off-grid cabin in the woods.
The natural swimming pond is the latest addition to their rural property. The couple plan to use the chemical-free pond for recreation throughout the year. Readers who want to see how the pond was built can follow the step-by-step process on the couple’s official YouTube channel. The Vanwives channel features videos showing the excavation, stone installation, and the full process of building the natural swimming pond on their property.