Sand filtration is a technology for cleaning swimming pool water. It consists of a vessel filled with a filter medium, most commonly special silica sand. Water from the pool is driven by a pump through this layer of sand, which traps mechanical impurities such as hair, insects, or tiny skin particles. The cleaned water then returns to the pool. Accumulated impurities must be regularly removed from the filter. This is done through a process called 'backwash', in which the direction of water flow is reversed. The water thus flushes the sand from below and carries the trapped impurities away to the waste. In addition to sand, other materials can also be used as a filter medium, such as zeolite or filter glass, which may have different properties and effectiveness.