You may not want to have fish in your swimming pool, but now, according to a couple of local businessmen, the option is entirely possible.

In fact, if the exertion of a good swim makes you thirsty, just take a gulp or two. 

It's all possible due to a new commercial water purification system introduced to Crete by Brian Blacklidge and Bernie Adams, two Brits who immigrated, separately, to the Sissi area several years ago.

Brian Blacklidge (left) and Bernie Adams

"I'm an electrical engineer and Bernie is a licensed plumber," Brian said. "We were each practicing our own specialty when we met. After many discussions, we decided – pardon the pun – to pool /i>our talents."

"We knew immediately that this was 'the better way'!" Brian said. "We contacted the parent company in England and acquired exclusive rights for all of Crete, and then created our company, Crete Aligator, and dove right in (he's big on puns). Seriously, once we started installing the system we knew there would be a big demand for the service."

As Brian and Bernie explained it, Aligator is a fully aromatic computerised system which produces crystal clear allergy free water of drinking standard by, among other things, reducing the need for chemicals by 75 percent.

"Just a quarter of a chlorine tablet is all that's needed, about the same amount of chlorine that is found in tap drinking water," Brian explained. "There are big cost savings both on the purchasing of chemical and in the reduction of maintenance time. And, of course, it is environmentally friendly, which is an important factor these days.

Brian went on to explain that with this system the "backwash" water (when cleaning the filter) can be used for other purposes, such as watering the garden, instead of being treated as waste.

The small, compact Aligator unit fixes onto the pool's pipe, with a wall-mounted computerized monitor next to it. Together, they regulate the charging of ions in the water, which creates a residual algaecide throughout the entire pool.

"It creates a perfect balancing act between the pool's pH factor and a minimal amount of chlorine," Brian said. "What you have is healthier pool water, and, with no algae, the need for winterizing the pool is eliminated, which results in even less maintenance. Even places like Sea-Life Park use the system to keep the tanks crystal clear and algae-free for better viewing by the public."

In other words, if you want to keep fish in your swimming pool, you can . . . just be sure it doesn't have a very large dorsal fin!