Is the national chlorine shortage being felt in Buffalo?
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW)  While most people were struck at home during the pandemic, Swimco Pools was hard at work. "It was out of control," James Mahoney with Swimco said, "Everyone wanted a pool, we normally do 100 estimates a year and we went to 400 estimates." The Western New York based pool builders had to cut off giving pool estimates this year due to the demand. A demand that has caused delays. "(The pool they are currently working on) actually got sold last June," Mahoney said. Mahoney and Swimco say a huge reason for the delays is a shortage of pool parts nationwide. "Whether it is steel, aligners, plumbing hoses, there's a shortage of it," Mahoney said, "If I were to order this pool today, I wouldn't get all of the product I need to build it until the end of September." This nationwide shortage is now moving beyond parts. A chlorine shortage has been hurting pool owners for a few months. According to Reuters, this was sparked from manufacturer issues due to regional infection rates, in addition to BioLab, a Louisiana based chlorine supplier, shutting down until 2022 due to a fire. Goldman Sachs says that a 58% jump in chlorine costs could happen this summer compared to last summer as a result of the shortage. Mahoney says this shortage is a problem for above ground pools, but in an area like Western New York where many pools are in-ground and saltwater based, it might not be a massive deal. "At least in our area I can say that the majority of the in-ground industry doesn't have too much of a concern over the lack chlorine," Mahoney said. Mahoney anticipated the shortage of pool related equipment to continue throughout this year and next year, with a possibility that it extends further. "We're facing a lot of the same issues that our manufacturers are, there is a lack of chips and boards that go into our automation systems, so this could easily extend to the end of 2022 and possibly into 2023." For more information on Swimco pools, visit their website here.