96 million "shade balls" released into reservoir to combat crippling drought

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It's an attempt to combat water loss through evaporation, and to heighten water quality.</p> <p>California's water shortages are now believed to be so severe that the state would now require 20 inches (51 cm) of rainfall – that's the equivalent of an entire year's precipitation – to remedy the crippling rain debt. </p> <p>In this context, the LA reservoir has become an even more vital resource, spanning an impressive 175 acres (71 hectares), and holding roughly 3.3 billion US gallons (12.5 billion liters) of water – enough to support the entire city of Los Angeles for up to three weeks.</p> <p>Each shade balls costs 36 cents, with the entire project amounting to US$34.5 million. Whilst this may sound like a lot of money to turn LA's largest reservoir into a massive watery ball pit, other water-saving alternatives would have proven far more costly to implement.</p> <p><div class="inline-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/pictures#3" target="_blank"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/shade-balls-los-angeles-3@2x.jpg" alt=""> </a> </div> </p> <p>Another option that had been under consideration would have seen the reservoir separated into two distinct basins with the use of a bisecting dam, and protected with a floating cover, at the much greater cost of $300 million.</p> <p>The unusual strategy represents a significant cost savings of around $250 million, and could prevent the loss of up to 300 million US gallons (1.14 billion liters) of water to evaporation. Simultaneously the shade balls will increasing water purity by preventing contamination via wildlife and dust, as well as reducing sunlight-triggered chemical reactions. </p> <p>It is estimated that the sheer quantity of water saved under the initiative will be sufficient to provide drinking water to around 8,100 LA residents for an entire year. Scroll down for a video showing the release of 20,000 shade balls into the LA Reservoir.</p> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.ladwpnews.com/go/doc/1475/2578586/" target="_blank">LADWP</a></p> <p><div class="inline-item js-article-video"> <iframe src="//web.archive.org/web/20150905090743if_/http://www.youtube.com/embed/wzLKA-1nJO4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> </p> </div>  <div class="page-section"> <ul class="list-ui list-ui--horizontal share-bar"> <li> <div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-show-faces="false" data-share="true"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> _ga.trackFacebook(); </script> </li> <li> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-via="gizmag" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/">Tweet</a> </li> <li> <div class="g-plusone" data-size="tall" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/"></div> </li> <li> <iframe style="overflow: hidden; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743if_/http://badge.stumbleupon.com/badge/embed/5/?url=http%3A//www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/" width="50" height="60" id="iframe-stmblpn-widget-1" name="iframe-stmblpn-widget-1"></iframe> </li> <li> <div class="pin-it-button" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/" data-image="http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/shade-balls-los-angeles.jpg" data-description="A new initiative by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has taken a surprisingly low-tech approach to water conservation, by covering the LA Reservoir in 96 million black "shade balls." It's an attempt to combat water loss through evaporation, and to heighten water quality."></div> </li> <li> <script type="IN/Share" data-counter="top"></script> </li> <li class="js-share-reddit"> <script type="text/javascript"> reddit_newwindow='1' </script> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ad "> <div class="ad-label">Advertisement</div> <script async src="//web.archive.org/web/20150905090743js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle ad-article-bottom" style="" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1607124478120364" data-ad-slot="6055296962"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div>  <div class="page-section"> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/" data-widget-id="AR_1" data-ob-template="Gizmag"></div> <script type="text/javascript" async="async" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743js_/http://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js"></script> </div>  <div class="page-section media"> <p class="h2 title-standout">About the Author</p> <a class="media__right" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/author/anthony-wood/"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743im_/http://images.gizmag.com/CACHE/images/avatars/208.981dd6408428.jpg" alt="Anthony Wood"/> </a> <p>Anthony is a recent law school graduate who also has a degree in Ancient History, for some reason or another. Residing in the UK, Anthony has had a passion about anything space orientated from a young age and finds it baffling that we have yet to colonize the moon. When not writing he can be found watching American football and growing out his magnificent beard.</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/author/anthony-wood/"> All articles by Anthony Wood </a> </div>  <div class="page-section"> <p class="h2 title-standout">Tags</p> <ul class="list-ui list-ui--horizontal article-tags"> <li>» <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/balls/" rel="tag">Balls</a></li> <li>» <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/water%2Bconservation/" rel="tag">Water Conservation</a></li> <li>» <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/california/" rel="tag">California</a></li> </ul> </div>  <div class="page-section"> <p class="h2 title-standout">20 Comments</p> <ul class="list-ui list-ui--vertical word-wrap"> <li> <p>I think they picked the wrong color. </p> <span class="strong">Odin</span> </li> <li> <p>I think coverage of the surface water would have an effect on lower water temperature stratification and may effect natural annual seasonal turnover of water; a natural occurrence in large bodies of water such as surface water reservoirs and lakes. This may present an uncontrollable condition for those with water extracting infrastructure set to pull water from the three levels of the hypolimnion, thermocline, and epilimnion as needed to control such things as temperature and pH within surface water treatment parameters. In a large lake the balls may make sense, yet in smaller reservoirs it may be difficult downstream to treat in a filtration plant. I have not seen any information as to how the balls affect temperature stratification and natural seasonal water turnover. The balls may have a profound effect upon water quality and subsequent downstream filtration treatment. Just don't know</p> <span class="strong">rburke@tsra.org</span> </li> <li> <p>Yet another un-thought out horrible government waste. #1: Black is a horrible idea, it will attract heat and UV rays and heat the water underneath causing bacteria growth. They should have used a light colored non-reflective (to prevent accidental airline blinding) coating. #2: Depending on what type of plastic these are made of and the material they're coated with, they will break down within a matter of years and and start sinking and releasing chemicals into the water and/or clogging up drains/passageways. #3: How in the everliving hell did 96,000,000 shade balls come out to $0.36 each? They must have horrible suppliers, or typical government waste and padding of pockets. You can get a 200 pack of 2.5" diameter colored plastic non-crush balls for under $0.18 each online. Buying 96,000,000, you could likely get that number down to $0.05-$0.10, or less. They should have just built solar plants that use the waterway to increase efficiency over the canals as the land is already cleared and reinforced properly and solar over water increases efficiency - or put up some type of tarp like system that can roll out on hot days.</p> <span class="strong">TruthnessHurtsall</span> </li> <li> <p>Good idea, but black absorbs heat that could cause more evaporation. White would have the same shading effect and reflects heat, keeping the water cooler.</p> <span class="strong">Lightwave</span> </li> <li> <p>Good idea to begin with! However, what would happen when the balls start deteriorating after some years, due to climatic conditions, and start sinking to the bottom of the reservoir?</p> <span class="strong">AraIzmitli</span> </li> <li> <p>Perhaps, in the future, when building sports arenas, they could build them over a reservoir, so that they are automatically covered. Houses could also have a 'basement' for rainwater storage, that could be used for washing, flushing and other non-potable purposes. Even roads could be built over a canal, or rather, canals incorporated into some roads so that the water transport system is covered.</p> <span class="strong">Nik</span> </li> <li> <p>Surely white would be a better choice of colour?</p> <span class="strong">MattII</span> </li> <li> <p>Australian farmers tried doing a similar thing about 20 years ago using empty soft drink bottles.They are used & free.I don't know what the long term result was but I haven't heard of it being done recently.</p> <span class="strong">Mick Martin</span> </li> <li> <p>Hey, if you ever find yourself in the position of thinking: "I'm the only person in the whole world to have thought of this one obvious flaw in that plan" Think again. You probably are not the first or only person to have thought it. Instead do some research around your flaw and find out what decisions and factors mitigate your flaw. Seriously. This is a problem all over the net.</p> <span class="strong">Scion</span> </li> <li> <p>As usual, so many preconceptions and misconceptions in the comments. As socalboomer noted, the balls are made in California, not China. Leave your racism and xenophobia out of this. They're made of food-grade polyethylene, which contains no plasticizers. They won't degrade quickly. It's well known that PE persists for a very long time in the environment. These balls are expected to last 25 years. It's not just to save water, but also to reduce the formation of bromate in the water due to sunlight. Bromate is a known carcinogen. Algae growth would actually be reduced because algae needs sunlight to grow, and these block sunlight. And no, these are nothing like ping pong balls. These are much bigger with much thicker walls, so 36¢ per shade ball is a bargain compared with tiny, fragile celluloid ping pong balls.</p> <p>Finally, it's not the first time they've been used in California. Just the first time on this scale.</p> <span class="strong">Timelord</span> </li> <li> <p>The number of balls needed to cover a reservoir is preposterous. These balls will deteriorate from the sunlight and violent wave action during storms. Their pieces will clog the aquifers and end up polluting the environment. This is another obviously very bad idea.</p> <span class="strong">DavidFMayerPhD</span> </li> <li> <p>Black is better for UV stabilization in plastics so they will last longer. Either way I'd hate to be the person that has to clean this up when the time comes.</p> <span class="strong">PaleDale</span> </li> <li> <p>50 million dollars to save enough water for 8,000 people for a year ... thats $6,250 per person ... couldn't they just buy water from Arizona cheaper ?</p> <p>how about not releasing 50% of the water to save a baitfish ? maybe only release 45% ... would save enough water for millions of people for a year ...</p> <span class="strong">Kaiser Derden</span> </li> <li> <p>what could possibly go wrong?</p> <span class="strong">zevulon</span> </li> <li> <p>Compared to white ping pong balls? I hope these have good UV resistance.</p> <span class="strong">Grunchy</span> </li> <li> <p>I thought the same thing surly mirror balls would be more effective</p> <span class="strong">MartinWright</span> </li> <li> <p>Not sure here but why not lily pads growing in the reservoir. They could provide shade naturally and produce other benefits while shading the pool without toxic plastic intervention and cost. Nature usually has the best solutions. I guess no one will make money on this so .....nevermind.</p> <span class="strong">GavinKennedy</span> </li> <li> <p>They are made in Glendora (suburb of Los Angeles) and are a food-safe plastic. What that exactly means? I dunno - but shouldn't be any worse than the crap that ends up in there from birds, wildlife, pollution, whatever. . . the water gets treated before it goes into supply.</p> <p>Supposedly the black color doesn't hurt because the plastic doesn't conduct heat that much and since they're (mostly) hollow they act as an insulator. (there is a small amount of water in them to keep them from blowing away, evidently.)</p> <span class="strong">socalboomer</span> </li> <li> <p>Let me guess, those balls are made of plastics (made in China), so they stay above the water line - surely with plasticizer and maybe even other stuff you don't want to drink/eat which will surely dissolve into the water over time. So they are trading a future with less water for a future with more or less poisonous water...</p> <span class="strong">DangerMouse</span> </li> <li> <p>Simple question. Doesn't the black color of the balls encourage heating, which would lead to increased evaporation rates and a potential increase in algae growth?</p> <span class="strong">minivini</span> </li> </ul> </div>  <div class="page-section"> <a name="comment-form"></a> <p class="h2 title-standout">Post a Comment</p> <div data-article="38914"> <form class="login-form form-full js-login-form" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090743/http://www.gizmag.com/login/" method="post"> <p class="strong">Login with your Gizmag account:</p> <p class="js-login-error"></p> <input type="hidden" name="csrfmiddlewaretoken" value="bQQJhloPfTRACGihlEJXp9iYagXgxjli"/> <input type="hidden" name="next" value="/shade-balls-los-angeles-reservoir-evaporation-drought/38914/"> <tr><th><label for="id_email">Email:</label></th><td><input id="id_email" maxlength="254" name="email" type="email"/></td></tr> <tr><th><label for="id_password">Password:</label></th><td><input id="id_password" name="password" 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