Austintown Pools owner Bob Ballone, back left, and Riley Miller, back right, lay a pool liner in an above-ground swimming pool as Steve Miller, left, and Bobby Slaven, smooth a sand base during a pool installation on Oran Road on Youngstown’s West Side on Friday Morning.

AUSTINTOWN — Twins Emma and Ella Lemke, 10, and little sister Eva, 7, of Oran Drive in Youngstown watched Friday as a crew from Austintown Pools installed their new above-ground pool.

They said they were very excited to start swimming at home. Ella said when they swim at family members’ houses or other places, they usually have to swim and leave at a certain time, but with a pool of their own, they can swim any time they like.

With summer in full swing and festivals, concerts and events canceled because of COVID-19 concerns, many families are looking to make a splash by purchasing a swimming pool for their home, but the supply of swimming pools is drying up.

“We’ve been having a hard time getting pools in,” said Bob Ballone, owner of Austintown Pools and Spas on North Canfield Niles Road.

Ballone said when he received calls from customers looking for swimming pools in March, he realized a rush was coming and stocked up.

“I was ahead of the game,” Ballone said.

Because of COVID-19, pool suppliers and their parts manufacturers were closed for several months, leaving a lag in supply that may last all summer. Distributors in certain states, like hard-hit New York, fell especially behind as plants shuttered under the virus.

Ballone said he considers himself lucky that his supplier is in Indiana, and he has been able to continue to get a few pools in stock. Other local retailers have not been as lucky.

In Poland, B.Y. Pools & Spas Inc. is also busier than ever, but stock is running thin, according to manager Lexa Shaffer.

“What we had, we sold, and we’re just waiting for them to be installed,” Shaffer said. “People are home and want to have something to do, and it’s hot, and they want to swim.”

“They want that swimming pool in their backyard, and we can’t sell it to them,” said Cindy Duncan, owner of Blue Dolphin Pools & Spas Ltd. on North Road in Warren. She said hot tubs also are on back order because needed components weren’t being manufactured during the shutdown.

Still, homeowners are looking to buy swimming pools. Austintown Township Zoning Inspector Darren Crivelli said he has received permit applications for 32 above-ground pools and one in-ground pool to date this year. Last year, he received five swimming pool applications between January and the end of May.

“The reason for the jump, based on the residents who have contacted the office, is nobody is going anywhere and the kids have to do something,” Crivelli said.

In Trumbull County, Howland Township Zoning Inspector Dan Morgan has gotten 12 swimming-pool permit applications between January and June 10. Though a relatively low number, that’s double the number of pool permits for the same time frame last year.

Zoning for pools varies by township and municipality. In Austintown, residents are required to get a permit listing the dimensions and placement of the swimming pool and the contractor, according to Crivelli. The permit fees range from $20 to $30.

Pools in the township must be in the backyard, at least 10 feet off the property line. Zoning for corner lots is more restrictive.

Ballone said he has been able to continue installing two to four pools a day, and he has sold around 150 mostly above-ground pools in the Mahoning Valley and western Pennsylvania.

Last year, Austintown Pools sold about 100 pools the entire summer.

“It’s a crazy time right now,” Ballone said. He said other pool equipment such as liners, ladders and even chemicals also are hard to come by as distributors and parts manufacturers were shuttered for several months because of COVID-19.

He expects to be able to continue selling pools.

“I think I’m good. I just have to hope that new pools keep coming in,” he said.

On Friday, a shipment of 15 pools had just come in.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com