Aussie summer is in full swing, which means it’s time to fire up the barbie and invite over the gang for a poolside party. Or maybe you’re looking forward to a relaxing dip on a warm afternoon, exclusive to you! Sounds fantastic right?

Unfortunately, however, it seems that with the recent supply chain issues continuing across the country, retailers are warning that those relaxing summer swims may have to be put on hold.


Major supermarket retailers have already issued purchase limits on certain products due to the rising COVID-19 infections, which forced their employees into isolation.

And now, the pool industry sector was hit as well, with pool owners and retailers feeling the shortage of maintenance supplies and staff.

According to Poolwerx chief executive John O’Brien, the supply shortage was not only caused by the ongoing rise in coronavirus cases.

He added that the rainy La Niña summer caused pools across the country to become ‘less clean’ and drove down the supply of salt, which is used for pool maintenance.

Mr O’Brien warned that unclean pools increase the risk of contracting “bugs” while swimming, leading to gastro or worse complications.

“People often blame the BBQ or the snags, but it’s normally the swimming pool that gave it to you,” he said.

He also said that the number of working pool technicians dwindled by almost 30 per cent due to recent close contact requirements.

Lindsay McGrath, CEO of Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Australia, said they have never experienced such a product shortage before.

“And it's not just for manufactured products (like pumps) – you’ve got commodity products like sodium bicarb and chlorine, which are manufactured globally,” he said.

“(The impact on the movement of) shipping containers alone, especially in commodity products, it just increased prices exponentially.”

Mr McGrath added that demand for pool supplies and services also skyrocketed during the time people were locked down within their homes.

Price for pool maintenance supplies such as sodium bicarbonate and chlorine went through the roof, making it difficult for pool owners to keep their waters fresh and clean.

Mr McGrath suggested that pool owners do the maintenance themselves instead of waiting until the cleaning services are back to normal operations. He also advised that with the supply shortage going on, homeowners should try to look for cheaper and more available alternatives than their usual products.

If you’re not familiar with the step-by-step process of doing pool maintenance by yourself, check out this video below!