Los Angeles Covers Reservoir With 96 Million Shade Balls
Posted on August 17, 2015
Los Angeles has filled a 175 acre reservoir with 96 million shade balls. The reservoir now looks like a giant version of a children's ball pit except the balls are all one solid color. The balls are there to help reduce the amount of water lost through evaporation and improve water quality.
The reservoir holds 3.3 billion gallons. Los Angeles and much of California are suffering from a historic drought making water conservation extremely important. The U.S. Drought Monitor currently shows much of California at the D4 exceptional drought stage, see here.
The city says that by blocking sunlight the balls - which cost 39 cents each - will prevent the loss of 300 million gallons of water annually. The balls are also meant to prevent sunlight-triggered chemical reactions and curtail algae blooms.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says in a statement, "In the midst of California's historic drought, it takes bold ingenuity to maximize my goals for water conservation. This effort by LADWP is emblematic of the kind of the creative thinking we need to meet those challenges. Together, we've led the charge to cut our city's water usage by 13%, and today we complete an infrastructure investment that saves our ratepayers millions and protects a vital source of drinking water for years to come."
An L.A. Times story about the shade balls says they are made from high-density polyethylene. The city told them the balls do not emit any chemicals but they could split at the seams after ten years.
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