HAZEL GREEN, Ala. – Chlorine, used to treat swimming pools, is skyrocketing in price and could run out for some stores and pool technicians who use it.

Swimming pool technicians are working six or seven days per week as they’re often understaffed.

Increased demand for residential pools during the COVID-19 pandemic and a fire at one of the largest chlorine plants in the country in 2020, is creating the problems. Especially in Huntsville where there are more than 5,000 people moving to the Rocket City per year.

“It’s insane right now,” said Austin Price, a technician with Professional Pools and Care. “We’re working just 90 to nothing. We’re trying to do the best that we can. We want you to understand that with our distributors and things like that, they are back-ordered. The mandatory shutdowns of the plants and stuff like that.”

Staff at Professional Pools and Care in Hazel Green said that many people who are moving to the Huntsville area won’t be able to get a swimming pool installed for the rest of 2021 because of backlogs.

Several of the more than 20 swimming pool businesses News 19 reached out to were out of breath when on the phone, saying they’re extremely busy.