Construction has started on the first crystal clear, man-made freshwater lagoon in Texas, bringing a new beach-style lifestyle to the Balmoral residential community when it opens next year.

The two-acre, environmentally friendly lagoon with white sand beaches is the first of its kind in a primary residential community in the state.

Representatives of Crystal Lagoons, the multi-national water-innovation company, and Balmoral developer Land Tejas joined more than 80 city officials, homebuilders and other community leaders on Oct. 5 to break ground on construction.

The lagoon, with depths up to 8 feet, will feature a Kid’s Cove and two beaches — a Family Beach with cabanas and lounge chairs, and a Serenity Beach for adults. The lagoon will become a signature feature in the northeast Beltway 8 community, anchoring the development’s 8-acre, $10 million Amenity Village that includes an infinity-edge pool overlooking the lagoon, a food truck courtyard, hammock park, sand volleyball court, playground and splash pad. A 12-foot wide GreenBoLT trail system will enable residents to walk, bike or take electric golf carts and Segways to Balmoral amenities and points of interest.

“We have been waiting to say these three words: ‘Welcome to paradise,’” said Michael Garfield, a local media personality known as “The High-Tech Texan” who served as the emcee at the event. “I remember way back when Land Tejas first started working on communities and had the vision to work with builders to pre-wire homes. Today, Land Tejas continues to innovate with technology such as what makes crystal clear lagoons possible.”

Crystal Lagoons’ patented, environmentally friendly technology enables real estate developers to transform parcels of land into idyllic beach lifestyles anywhere in the world, at low construction and maintenance costs. The lagoons use 100 times fewer chemicals than traditional swimming pools and consume only 2 percent of the energy required by traditional pool filtration systems. The result — dramatic, clean, clear bodies of fresh water that offer tremendous recreational appeal for the whole family, particularly when compared to more traditional amenities such as golf courses, said Kevin Morgan, executive vice president with Crystal Lagoons.

“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to bring the first crystal clear lagoon to Texas, right here in Balmoral,” Morgan said at the Oct. 5 groundbreaking event. “Our innovative technology is already in 190 countries, and we are managing 600 projects throughout the globe. Our crystal clear lagoons are known to drive sales for residential projects, and we are excited that our lagoons in Texas will catalyze our entry into the United States.”

The grand opening of the lagoon in 2018 will feature Crystal Lagoons’ newly signed spokesperson, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who will take a special swim in the lagoon at the event.

“We could not think of a better way to introduce our game-changing water innovation to Texas than with the world’s most-decorated swimmer,” Morgan added.

Balmoral, located off North Sam Houston Parkway and Woodland Hills Drive, offers homes priced from the $190,000s by builders Colina Homes; D.R. Horton; Gray Point Homes by Gehan Homes; HistoryMaker Homes; and Westin Homes. The first several sections under development in 580-acre Balmoral encompass approximately 600 home sites within gated neighborhoods. More information is available at www.balmoralhouston.com.

Tossing shovels full of sand to ceremonially break ground on the first Crystal Lagoon in Texas are, from left, Patrick Gassaway, Heidt Design; Tom Litinas, Trez Capital; Scott Andreasen, Heidt Design; Al Brende, Land Tejas; Kevin Morgan, Crystal Lagoons; Michael Garfield, “The High-Tech Texan;” Susan Brown, Land Tejas; Jennifer Keller, Land Tejas; Tim Johnson, Land Tejas; and Uri Man, UM Development.