Pool owners around Logan will have to supplement their water with chlorine as a substitute for salt, as salt reserves run low in stores across town.
It adds to the long list of products currently being impacted throughout the supply chain.
Local floods have increased sales faster than stock is being delivered, while flooding at interstate salt harvesting locations is magnifying the problem.
Browns Plains Home Hardware owner Paul Charlton said he received an email from a wholesaler detailing the shortage.
Mr Charlton said the email reported that: “Due to multiple impacts affecting production, supply of swimming pool salt will continue to be constrained for the short to medium term.”
He also said the floods have slowed deliveries into the city, which is one factor in shortage.
Pool Pro Jimboomba’s Ross Jones said salt production locations in places like South Australia and Western Australia were flooded several months ago, which compounded the problem.
“Salt pans interstate were flooded several months ago, and we’ve had scarce products since then,” he said.
Before the floods hit the salt pans interstate, Mr Jones said supply was already low, but they managed. Now it has become more difficult as more people are out buying salt because of the floods around Logan.
“And then with the floods recently, everyone’s pool got flooded and they all needed salt at once, so it sparked a shortage,” he said.
Salt is needed to make liquid chlorine for the pool. With salt running low, the chlorinators will still produce some chlorine but not enough.
Mr Jones said this can be fixed by adding a supplement.
“What they need to do is supplement that with liquid chlorine, which will keep their pool’s right until more stock arrives,” he said.
He added that the need for salt becomes less important in winter because the chlorinators produce less chlorine during colder weather.
