SAN DIEGO — A chlorine shortage is impacting community pools in some locations in San Diego County amid a scorching heat wave.
The shortage is not due to the weather nor COVID-19, but a fire in Louisiana that has shut down production of chlorine since 2020. It has caused an unwelcome ripple in the cleaning of community pools across the county.
Coronado was forced to shutter their community pool because of a lack of chlorine supply. Pool officials say the pool is closed until further notice.
In other communities like Escondido, many are scouring all over the county to find the cleaning chemical.
“We haven’t really been affected by it until two weeks ago, when we missed a shipment,” said Wayne Thames, the Escondido Superintendent of Parks and Pools.
LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad says for now they have enough chlorine to continue to operate their pools and slides, while the El Corazon Aquatic Center in Oceanside is still set to open on August 21.
However, community operation experts are getting creative in keeping access open.
“There was a period where we had to find something, so we went to local venders that’s Leslie’s Pools and Pool King in town and then we went to Home Depot, once those supplies were exhausted, we had to go outside the city to find chlorine, so I sent guys down to spring valley to buy chlorine and bring it back up,” Thames said.
Pool cleaning experts have noted that if one pool shuts down that means other pools are also in danger of being closed if the supply chain remains disrupted for too long.
“We got a shipment today, thank goodness, next Tuesday is the next scheduled shipment,” Thames said. “If we don’t get it then, we are going to be sending people out everywhere to keep these pools open.”