BioNova Awarded US Patent To Be Used in Natural Pools

BioNova has just been awarded a US Patent for a system and method for the biological purification of water. No other natural pool system design company has been awarded a US Patent on their purification systems. Rin Robyn Pools will be using this newly patented system for designs of natural pools.

The inventor of the patented system is Gerhard Brandlmeier, of Austria, founder of BioNova. Rainer Grafinger, of Munich, Germany, the current business leader of BioNova, has been assigned the rights to the patent. Natural pool designs are complex and the success of a design and implementation is dependent on the success of the biological purification of the water.

Building a natural pool is the equivalent of building a complete ecosystem. The delicate balance of water, plants, microorganisms and animals that keep this ecosystem in balance and keep the pool water clear and clean, is important to keep in equilibrium. The new BioNova patent assures that the proper design and technology to accomlish this is built into the BioNova natural pool.

BioNova Partners are delighted with the new patent and are looking forward to taking Mother Nature's Ancient Technology for purifying water into the 21st Century swimming pool!

German Magazine "Schwimmbad und Sauna"

The following is a translation of the article that appeared in the last issue on the BioNova World Congress on Natural Swimming Pools.

International Summit Meeting

In the traditional Austrian region of Carinthias' hot springs of Bad Bleiberg, BioNova Partners from all around the world met during the last week of January, in order to get current on the newest things in Natural Swimming Pools and to honor the best in their profession.

BioNova has finally outgrown its' baby shoes. What began many years ago in a provincial section of Germany and Austria, has grown into a truly global network.

49 BioNova Licensed Partners from 22 different countries, turned out for the summit to discuss both private and public Natural Swimming Pools – which are gaining popularity world-wide. For example, the BioNova trademark is now also in Mauritius, Australia, Israel, the US and Canada.

Three years ago, at their resident headquarters outside the Bavarian city of Munich, Germany, BioNova Director Rainer Grafinger began to actively push the idea for taking the BioNova Natural Pool Trademark international.

"Most of our contacts emerge from the internet", explained Grafinger. In the last year there has been a boom in inquiries.

The most fun was greeting the numerous new official BioNova International Partners and presenting the newest of technological developments in Natural Pools.

In order to meet and discuss these developments, the Bavarians invited all of the licensed Partners to the First BioNova World Congress in the town of Bad Bleiberg in the Austrian Alps. The Bavarian organizers were practically overrun with the enthusiasm: except for four firms, all of the BioNova Partners travelled to Austria. "We were overwhelmed with the number of particpants", Grafinger openly admitted.

Grafinger and his team held the World Congress at the "Bleiberger Hof" Wellness Hotel, which is one of the largest conference destinations in the Austrian Alps. In spite of the fact that there were 85 international guests, from a variety of cultures and backgrounds, they were pleased that the professional hotel staff could handle this so easily during their peak winter period.


The conference location was not at all accidental. After a comprehensive rehabilitation completed during the preceding summer, this traditional wellness hotel had reopened to greet its guests with both a 7500 square meter new Wellness Area with an outdoor thermal spa, and a large Natural Swimming Pool. This pool was naturally the work of one of the BioNova Partners, the company of Firma Teuffenbach from Austria (a report about the Hotel, "Bleiberger Hof" can be read in the February ’08 edition of the magazine BäderBau, a new publication of the German trade journal "Schwimmbad & Sauna". But the participants did not have any time to take advantage of the facility. Six long days of training and presentations were scheduled and the exchange of experiences of the participants from different countries and even different continents made for exciting conversations during the breaks and especially in the evenings at the bar. "In spite of the lengthy programs, the participants remain very concentrated, disciplined and curious", Grafinger said happily.

One highpoint of the World Congress was the presentation of the First BioNova Awards. Along with a plaque and a trophy for all of the participants, BioNova presented some of the Partners with special awards - including the Most Diligent Natural Pool Builder, the Newest and the Oldest Partner, the best Newcomer Country and the Most Beautiful Installation. These participants of the World Congress then had a photo opportunity.

The founder of BioNova, Austrian Gerhard Brandlmaier, received a Lifetime Achievement Award to a standing ovation for his pioneering work in Natural Swimming Pools. Brandlmaier has gone into a well-deserved retirement but still regularly gives advice to BioNova management.

Finally, since this First BioNova World Congress was such a successful meeting, the next congress is planned for around two years in the future. "Even for our larger Partners coming from all over the world, these week long meetings are a significant commitment. Biannual meetings will easier to schedule", Grafinger said.



(Translation courtesy of Rin Robyn)

BioNova Natural Pools Partners

James and Hae-Sun spent 3 weeks in Europe in January and February and attended the BioNova Natural Pools World Congress in Bad Bleiberg, Austria. A full week of time was spent at the World Congress listening to presentations from BioNova partners, as well as academicians in the fields associated, including limnology, natural pool design concepts, plant materials, algae and hydraulics.

BioNova partners from around the world were present, including the UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Lebanon, Turkey, the UAE, Israel, Mauritius, Australia and the US. The popularity of natural swimming pools has become a "green" worldwide phenomenon.

James and Hae-Sun are excited about bringing this ancient all-natural technology into the 21st Century.