As people are becoming more aware of being "eco-friendly", a new returning trend in the real estate market is on the rise: Saltwater Swimming Pools!

In the past, residential in-ground swimming pools were almost always a traditional chlorine pool that required chlorine tablets and an erosion feeder to keep the water sanitized. Today, the interest in salt/chlorine generators for swimming pools is rapidly increasing.

Saltwater swimming pools were once a big hit in the early 1980s but it died out due to a maintenance learning curve. Todays systems have indicator lights, self diagnosing and self cleaning features, making the system much easier to maintain than the saltwater pools of yesterday.

As opposed to the true saltwater pools, a salt/chlorine generator is not completely chlorine free. The generator uses electrolysis to convert sodium chloride (table salt) into sodium AND free chlorine. Free chlorine is the type of chlorine that doesn't burn the eyes and dry out the hair and skin. To use the generator you would simply dial in the amount of salt that you would need to produce the correct amount of chlorine, making it much easier to control the level of chlorine in your pool.

"Because you're manufacturing your own chlorine, your own sanitizer, from low levels of salt in the water, that's less chlorine that's being transported over our roads, it's less chlorine being manufactured in our communities, it's less chlorine you've got to store on your property, so there's less potential for accidents that involve chemical spills," Bob Russell, VP of pool services for Glen Gate Company in Wilton, Connecticut, stated.

Many consumers are looking for fewer chemicals in today's market. This type of pool system can provide fewer toxins at about half the cost.

According to Lori Prinz, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Westport-Riverside, "The feedback I get from our buyers and sellers is that they prefer the saltwater pools because they have lower levels of chlorine, are less likely to cause skin or eye irritation or damage hair. A lot of consumers are looking for healthier environments overall -- less toxins wherever they can make the changes in their homes."

Although the initial cost of adding a salt/chlorine generating pool is higher, it pays for itself in just the annual maintenance savings alone. A chlorinated pool costs nearly approximately $50-60 per month to maintain whereas a salt/chlorine generated pool costs nearly $30 for the season in salt.

"We felt it was a better option for our lives," said Jen Bartlett, who grew up with a chlorinated pool in her backyard. "It was a natural option with far less chemicals. It doesn't damage your swimsuit or towels. Those were the important factors for us ... having young children and two water dogs," said Bartlett, whose salt/chlorine generated pool also features an 11-foot round saltwater spa on a separate system.

The water doesn't taste salty or give off a chlorine smell. "People don't really notice until they jump in and then they realize there's something different," Bartlett said.