ARBOPOOL (Closed-Loop Pool Water Treatment)

Overview

ARBOPOOL is a vacuum-based phase-separation technology that replaces chlorine, salt-electrolysis, UV, ozone and ionization in swimming pools with a closed-loop water purification system delivering drinking-quality water back into the basin. The technology originates from biological-waste treatment systems developed for the International Space Station, where cosmonauts must drink recycled urine purified to drinking standard. In a pool, the same physics works with a massive margin: zero chlorine, zero DBPs (chloramines, trihalomethanes, chloroform), zero consumables, and a fully closed water loop with no discharge to sewer and no fresh-water top-up. The technology eliminates the structural cost of chlorine-based pool chemistry: reagents, cell/lamp/electrode replacement, enhanced ventilation against chloramines, accelerated corrosion of embedded parts, and chronic operational costs that never decline.

Applications

Primary use cases:

• Hotel and resort pools (premium segment)

• Fitness clubs and sports complexes

• Waterparks and aquaparks

• Olympic and competition pools

• Premium residential pools

Typical scenarios:

• Full replacement of chlorine, salt, UV, ozone and Cu/Ag systems

• New-build premium properties seeking certified low-carbon / zero-discharge water

• Retrofits where water-bill, sewer-discharge and ventilation costs are prohibitive

• Properties in water-stressed regions where every cubic meter of fresh water is regulated

Industries and users:

• Hospitality groups

• Sports and fitness chains

• Municipal sports infrastructure

• Premium residential developers

• Public aquatics facilities

Scale:

• Residential: 75–95 m³ pools

• Commercial: 150–300 m³ pools (hotels, fitness, hospitality)

• Large: 300+ m³ pools (waterparks, Olympic-grade, multi-pool complexes)

Operating Principle

Water from the pool's collection tank (which aggregates backwash, overflow, shower and locker-room drains) is drawn by deep vacuum into the ARBOPOOL chamber. No pressure pump is needed — the vacuum itself pulls the water through. Under deep vacuum at ambient temperature, water evaporates without heating. Bacterial cells and viral envelopes have higher internal pressure than the surrounding vacuum, so they rupture from the inside — physical destruction, not chemical kill. Volatile organics, dissolved gases, and nitrogenous compounds (the substrate for any microflora) leave the water in the same step. Vapor condenses to drinking-quality water and returns directly to the basin. Solids and concentrated residues are collected separately.

Key steps:

1. Aggregation of all building water streams (basin + showers + drains) into one collection tank

1. Vacuum-driven intake into ARBOPOOL chamber

1. Ambient-temperature evaporation under deep vacuum

1. Cell rupture and removal of dissolved compounds in the same step

1. Vapor condensation into drinking-quality water

1. Return of clean water to the basin (no post-filter, no chemicals)

Limitations:

• Requires stable vacuum conditions

• Mechanical debris (leaves, sand, insects) still requires standard surface skimming

• Glass, large solids, and excess hair are diverted to the collection tank ahead of the chamber

Key Parameters

|Parameter|Chlorine|Salt electrolysis|UV/Ozone/Ag + chlorine|ARBOPOOL|

|---|---|---|---|---|

|Chlorine in water|yes|yes (own)|yes|no|

|DBPs (chloramines, THMs)|yes|yes|yes|no|

|Drinking-quality water at output|no|no|no|yes|

|Consumables|reagents|salt, cells|lamps, electrodes, chlorine|none|

|Sewer discharge|regular|regular|regular|0|

|Fresh-water top-up|continuous|continuous|continuous|0|

|Total energy per m³ cycled|1.4–2.0 kWh|1.6–2.2 kWh|2.0–2.8 kWh|0.7 kWh|

|Cost per m³ cycled|$0.17–0.25|$0.15–0.20|$0.18–0.28|$0.084|

Typical values:

• Throughput: 25–400+ m³/day (depending on unit)

• Energy: 0.7 kWh/m³

• Recirculation: 100% (no discharge, no fresh-water top-up under steady operation)

• Microbial count at output: below detection threshold (E. coli, enterococci, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa absent)

• Water quality: drinking standard (independently verified)

• Fish viability: confirmed (chloramine-free water supports living fish — the simplest visible proof)

Architecture and Components

Core components:

• Vertical vacuum evaporation chamber

• Vacuum generation system

• Condensation unit

• Collection tank (aggregating backwash, overflow, shower and locker-room drains)

• Control system (PLC / automation)

• Sensors (pressure, temperature, flow)

Models:

• ARBOPOOL-25 — residential, vertical tank 4 m × ⌀ 1 m, ~25 m³/day

• ARBOPOOL-200 — commercial, vertical tank in 20-foot container, 200 m³/day

• ARBOPOOL-400 — large/dual configuration = 2 × ARBOPOOL-200

Optional:

• ARBOK-SONAR — integrated chemistry lab, 24/7 inline monitoring of bacteriology, pH, mineralization, oxidizers, nitrogenous compounds; instant mobile notifications on deviation; eliminates manual lab sampling and litmus testing

The system is modular and scalable. Multiple units can be combined for large multi-pool complexes.

Advantages

Technical:

• Drinking-quality water at the output (only technology in the pool segment delivering this)

• Zero chlorine, zero DBPs, zero chemical consumables

• 100% closed water loop; the pool runs on its own wastewater

• Fish-viable water (visible biological proof of safety)

• Ambient-temperature operation

• No membranes (no fouling, no replacement)

Economic:

• 15–20× lower monthly operating cost than classical schemes (all-in)

• 2–4× lower total energy use vs. classical pool systems (pumps + ventilation + lamps + electrolysis)

• Eliminates fresh-water purchase and sewer discharge fees entirely

• Removes ongoing line items: reagents, cell/lamp/electrode replacement, enhanced ventilation, accelerated corrosion

• 15-year operating cost for a commercial 200 m³ pool: ~$90 000 vs ~$540 000 for classical (a $450 000 "chlorine tax" avoided)

Environmental:

• Zero liquid discharge

• Zero chlorine release into urban water cycle

• Carbon footprint per m³ of treated water orders of magnitude below classical

• Eligibility for low-carbon-water certification (EU and similar frameworks)

Strategic:

• Brand differentiation for premium hospitality (drinking-quality water as guest experience)

• Independence from chemical supply chains and water utilities

• Resilience against water-supply disruptions and tariff increases

• ESG-positive: zero-discharge, zero-chemical, circular water

Integrations

Compatible with:

• Existing pool circulation infrastructure (standard return-line flange)

• Building drainage (shower and locker-room drain capture)

• Solar PV (residential), grid, or combined power

• Building Management Systems (BMS)

• ARBOK-SONAR monitoring layer

Digital integration:

• SCADA

• PLC automation

• Remote monitoring

• Predictive maintenance

• Mobile notifications via ARBOK-SONAR option

Deployment & Operation

Implementation steps:

• Site assessment (pool volume, current chemistry, drain architecture, water source)

• Unit sizing (ARBOPOOL-25 / -200 / -400)

• Collection-tank integration with backwash, overflow, shower and drain streams

• Connection via standard return-line flange

• Power configuration (grid / solar / hybrid)

• Commissioning and verification

Operating conditions:

• Technical room or dedicated outdoor pavilion (ARBOPOOL-200 fits in standard 20-ft container)

• Standard industrial utilities

• Ambient temperature operation (no special climate control required)

Operation:

• Fully automated

• Minimal operator involvement

• With ARBOK-SONAR option: self-diagnosing, mobile alerts on any deviation

Installation timeline:

• 1–2 days for connection (residential and standard commercial)

• Longer for multi-pool complexes with custom integration

TRL

TRL 8 (confirmed by Michael)

Evidence:

• Origin in validated ISS biological-waste treatment systems (drinking-quality recycled urine)

• Independent laboratory protocols confirming pathogen absence and drinking-quality output

• Live-fish viability tests in ARBOPOOL water (chloramines absent — biological proof)

• Vacuum phase-separation platform commercially deployed in adjacent ARBOK applications (MedZWD, BEVERIX, Irrigation, etc.)

Remaining steps:

• Series production with strategic partner

• Industry standardization for recreational-water segment

• Regulatory pathway in jurisdictions with pool-specific chlorine residual mandates

Market Potential

Target industries:

• Hospitality (hotels, resorts, all-inclusive complexes)

• Sports and fitness chains

• Public aquatics and municipal pools

• Premium residential developers

• Waterparks and aquaparks

Global market size:

• Pool equipment and chemical market: $15–30 billion annual segment

• Pool chemical consumables alone: $5+ billion annually

• Premium hospitality water systems: separately addressable high-margin niche

Addressable share:

• Premium and zero-discharge-mandated segments first

• Water-stressed regions (Mediterranean, Middle East, Southwest US, Australia)

• ESG-driven hospitality and corporate properties

Typical Project Economics

System capacity: 25–400+ m³/day

CAPEX: serious; industrial R&D-grade equipment with orbital-station origins; pricing per project

OPEX: ~$65/month residential, ~$500/month commercial 200 m³, ~$760/month large 300+ m³ (all-in)

Comparable classical OPEX: $700–1 300 / $2 300–4 000 / $3 500–6 000 monthly

15-year savings (commercial 200 m³): ~$450 000 vs classical

Energy: 0.7 kWh/m³ cycled

Payback: depends on project scale, financing structure and pool intensity of use

Risk Factors

• Conservative industry adoption (chlorine is the entrenched 100+ year standard)

• Regulatory frameworks built around chlorine residual mandates require pathway negotiation in some jurisdictions

• Premium-positioned CAPEX requires correct buyer segmentation

• Awareness gap: most operators do not yet know that drinking-quality pool water is achievable

• Need for strategic partner for serial production (institute is R&D center, not a manufacturer)

• Educating residential market on "law of children's clothing" — small systems carry proportionally higher per-liter cost

Related Technologies

ARBOK-POOL RENEWAL · ARBOK MedZWD · Vacuum Osmosis · ARBOK-VC (Vacuum Cracking)