California’s cost-effective method to handle water-crisis – Covers reservoir with 96 million plastic balls

Aug 13, 2015 by Madan in News

On Monday, 175-acre Silver Lake Reservoir in Los Angeles was covered with 96 million plastic balls as the final stage of the project to conserve the reservoir.

The dark plastic orbs (hollow, polyethylene orbs) would float atop the water and block sunlight and UV rays. This would further discourage algae growth in the reservoir and It’ll help keep the drinking water supply clean.

The cover of 96 million plastic balls, each measuring 4-inches, will slow the evaporation rate. Evaporation causes a drain of 300 million gallons of water annually.

A video on Facebook appeared showing thousands of balls swarming into the reservoir from a large container. Watching the balls rush into water also captivated each and every onlooker around the lake.

California is going through a long-term water crisis, and to combat four years of similar circumstances, the officials conceived the idea to cover the reservoir. The Shade Balls will cover about 96% of the surface area to prevent evaporation.

The Los Angeles Reservoir holds massive 3.3 billion gallons of water, which is enough to supply water to the city for up to three weeks.

Three such reservoirs have already been covered with balls, and The LA Reservoir is the fourth one to join them.

The balls are manufactured by XavierC. Each ball cost $0.36. The whole project is part of a $34.5 million plan to conserve water supply across California to deal with the mounting water-crisis.

According to the authorities, this method will save the city at least $250 million as compared to other water-saving alternatives. The plastic balls last for over 25 years and require negligible maintenance. There is no need for the construction, labor or any additional parts.

It’s a win-win situation for the authorities in every aspect.