The 2020 Pool and Spa Show

Allen Schnaak
Vice President
BioNova Natural Pools


My personal and professional life have revolved around water and the outdoors. Over 56 years ago, at the age of 12, I got my first job maintaining a neighborhood swimming pool in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia in the USA. I taught swimming lessons, water safety, attained SCUBA certification, and enjoyed hiking, camping and exploring the outdoors. While in college I studied marine biology and limnology, but since Jacques Cousteau had the job I wanted, my career evolved around the swimming pool industry. For 30 years I was responsible for sales, training, and marketing swimming pool chemicals with Biolab, Inc., but now, as a co-owner of BioNova, my life and career has come full circle to apply the techniques of swimming pool design and operation with the science of biological filtration in Natural Swimming Pools. A major challenge we face in the US is that the swimming pool industry was borne in a “chemical maintenance” business environment, and I represent the ASPNSP and BioNova in an effort to educate the use of biological filtration as a viable option to support a “Nature-based solution” for both Public and Private natural swimming pools. I am encouraged that there is a rising level of support for environmentally sustainable practices and I’m passionate in promoting responsible stewardship of our natural resources.

Sessions :