Chlorine shortage forces some Tri-Cities area pools to stay closed, cancel lessons

A shortage of chlorine used to keep pools sparkling clean that’s making waves across the U.S. is now is closing some Mid-Columbia pools.

The Kennewick “mushroom” wading pool will remain closed and the Prosser Aquatic Center will not open this weekend as planned.

Prosser officials also had to cancel swim team practices and the two sessions of kids lessons set to start Monday

“This is an especially heartbreaking situation, not only for our patrons but for our dedicated staff who have trained very hard to ensure a safe summer of swimming and fun at the Prosser Aquatic Center,” said Steve Zetz, Prosser’s community development director in a news release.

The decision was made after the city’s chemical provider Oxarc in Pasco said the company experienced a malfunction at a production plant. The city has been unable to get supplies because of an ongoing nationwide shortage.

In a letter Oxarc sent to the the city of Prosser, the company said all nonessential deliveries were being halted.

“We must make sure that we have enough product to service all of our drinking water and wastewater customers,” the letter said.

Oxarc has about two dozen offices in Washington, Oregon and Idaho and provides welding and industrial supplies, as well as industrial, medical and specialty gases.

A nationwide chlorine shortage piled on top of a shortage of lifeguards has made it an especially tough summer for some pool owners.

Last August, a large fire broke out at a plant near Lake Charles, La., that is one of the country’s largest producers of pool and spa products, according to the New York Times. The fire burned for three days.

That fire not only incinerated a warehouse of stored chlorine, but put manufacturing on hold.

Backyard pools

Added to an increased demand with more backyard pools being installed during the pandemic shutdown, chlorine is starting to be hard to come by as pools open for the season.

James VanHoorelbeke with Leisure Pool-n-Spa in Kennewick said that their supplier has told them to stop ordering chlorine of any kind — liquid, granular or gas — because they soon won’t be able to fill the orders.

“We’ve been helping (pool owners) try to supply up for rest of the season,” VanHoorelbeke said. “If they can’t maintain a good amount of chlorine for the season we help them find a few alternatives.”

He told the Herald that he believes the residential market is going to take the biggest hit because public and recreational pools have more resources, as well as staff and equipment to constantly monitor the water.

City pools

The Kennewick Parks and Recreation department has been able to pivot quickly, said Drew Tomasino, a supervisor with the Kennewick parks department.

He said that the city has adapted the system at Kenneth Serier Memorial Pool to use granular or tablet chlorine. The pool is designed to use gas chlorine.

The Civic Center Splash Pool, aka the mushroom wading pool adjacent to the main pool, will remain closed until the shortage diminishes.

He told the Herald that swim lessons are in high demand — especially after families lost last year’s season — and that’s where the city’s focus will be.

The Richland Parks and Recreation Department said that they are well prepared and the maintenance staff has enough supply of chlorine on hand to keep the city’s pools in top shape.

There are no plans to close treated pools at George Prout pool and the wading pool in Howard Amon Park.

“Our goal is to have as much as we can open all summer long,” said Julie Jackson, the manager for the parks and recreation department.

They are continuing to offer swim lessons, although in a limited capacity because the city has about half the number of lifeguards as it did last year.

And everything is also business as normal at Pasco’s Memorial Pool with swim lessons starting Monday.

The city is in a good position because it has bypassed the use of chlorine entirely for the pools.

The pool uses a chlorine generation system that converts salt into chlorine, Brent Kubaleck, parks manager told the Herald.

While the system may be more upfront, there is no need to rely on liquid chlorine or tablets, and the city has plenty of pallets of salt on hand.

An employee with the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center said that they were only just learning of how the chlorine shortage will hit home — but for now swim lessons and open swim are going on as planned.

Pool tips

But the real challenge will be backyard pools.

VanHoorelbeke of Leisure Pool-n-Spa said the challenge for residents will be to stay on top of the cleanliness of their pool water.

He offered these tips to help minimize the need for chlorine and extend it’s life in the pool:

▪ Use an a floating ionizer. It will help keep the water clean and reduce the demand for chlorine.

▪ Use stabilizers. This is “sunblock for your chlorine,” VanHoorelbeke said. The stabilizer conditions the water and extends the life of the chlorine that already is in the water. He said that without it, as soon as chlorine is dropped in the pool the sun will burn it up.

▪ Check chemistry often. Checking the chemistry levels frequently to avoid getting to the point a greater amount of chlorine is needed.

▪ Protect the pool. Keep the pool clean and keep out bacteria. Use a pool cover when not in use, and if that isn’t possible — stay on top of skimming out leaves and scooping out insects and critters. Don’t let gunk sit on the bottom either.