Swimming pool owners facing chlorine shortages and higher prices this summer
Supply chain issues are causing shortages of some pool chemicals, including liquid chorine, which many people rely on to kill germs, bacteria and to keep water sparkling clean.
“It's no different then when you go to a grocery store and there is no cereal on the shelves, now they are telling us there is no chlorine," Walter Ptasznyk, who was buying chlorine to get his pool ready for a weekend pool party, told CTV News Toronto.
A transport truck carrying a tanker of liquid chlorine was delivered to an International Pool & Spa location in Oshawa, Ont. just in time as the location’s main storage tank was almost empty.
“Normally, this tank filled three times a week and it can hold 10,000 litres of chlorine. Now we are only allowed 8,000 litres per week,” Darryl Hudgins, with International Pool & Spa, said.
The store said it is only allowing each customer to have 10 litres of chlorine per visit to make sure there is enough to go around for other pool owners.
Factory shutdowns and an increase in demand have made liquid chlorine harder to come by, which has also led to major price increases.
“Our costs doubled three weeks ago, but we only increased our prices marginally because we still need to make sure our customers are happy,” Hudgins said. “In the past few days, the prices we are charged doubled again.”
Due to supply chain issues, inflation, and increased demand, many pool products have increased 30 to 50 per cent in price in the past two years.
There was also a major fire at a U.S. chemical plant in Louisiana in 2020, which also caused product scarcity.
“Transporting the product has tripled over the past year, you have a tight supply, and you put in all together and you have much higher pricing," Harry Martyniuk, with Pioneer Family Pools, said.
Pool stores say chlorine pucks or granular chlorine are still available and many pool owners also use salt water systems, but liquid chlorine will be more scare this summer and expensive.
"It's like anything," Ptasznyk said. "If you need it you are going to have to pay for it.”
It's not clear if the supply chain issues involving liquid chlorine will persist throughout the summer months, but if you use it, you may want to stock up on it when you can.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.