Chlorine Shortage May Ruin Rockford’s Swimming Pool Season

If you're prepping for opening up that swimming pool for the Rockford summer season, you'll want to read this because a national chlorine shortage is widespread and it will likely get worse, which will drive chlorine prices even higher.

In the interests of full disclosure, I'll admit to being a pool owner. Ours is nothing special, just an above-ground, 10,000 gallon pool that we've had for about 14 years now. If you're picturing a gorgeous water spot surrounded by lush greenery and landscaping, you've got the wrong place in mind.

Nonetheless, a chlorine shortage that's about to affect the entire nation is going to affect me, too. Not nearly as much as it will affect hotels and motels, swimming complexes, or states that have weather that allows year-round usage of swimming pools.

CNBC.com reports that a combination of factors has led to the difficulties in obtaining chlorine, including an unprecedented surge in demand last year and a chemical plant fire, which destroyed some manufacturing capacity.

If this is the first you're hearing of this, you're not alone. Swimming pool industry insiders say that most pool-owning homeowners are being totally blindsided by what one Florida pool company owner calls "Poolmageddon."

If you can even lay hands on some pool chlorine, be prepared to dig a little deeper into your wallet to pay for it.

New York Post:

Pool supply companies have been sounding the alarm about the shortage, which is beginning to show up in the marketplace.

For example, a 50-pound bucket of chlorine tablets from the In the Swim brand used to sell for $109. It’s now sold out on Amazon and selling for $154.99 on the company’s website.

I took a few minutes to call some pool supply places around the Rockford area, and was told that there's been a pretty good run on chlorine stocks since this news broke, but all of them said they still have some on hand. They also told me that liquid chlorine, which is used by some people in place of powdered or tablet chlorine, should be in a plentiful supply for Rockford's pool season.