by Sonny Jones | USA
They are called shades-but until Los Angeles decided to adapt it, anyone could have been forgiven for seeing them as simply tennis ball or similar. So when the last 20,000 of a 96 million ball project was released into the water reservoir, many wondered why.
The black balls absorb the heat while protecting the water.
Credit: Mika McKinnon.
Those who are familiar with Los Angeles say their weather can be excruciatingly hot in the summer, resulting in more water usage and evaporation.
So to stop their water varnishing, they came up with the idea of the balls to provide cover to the water and prevent the water from disappearing.
The city has deployed a total of 96 million "shade balls" into the LA Reservoir in an effort to save 300 million gallons of water, according to Mashable, which confirmed that California was experiencing its worst drought on record.
So all hands and brain were on deck to conserve the state's precious water supply. But why are they a heat-absorbing black instead of light-reflecting white? Because they’re shade balls, and their purpose has nothing to do with the drought.
To try out the experiment and see the effectivenes.."Switch between wearing a dark shirt and a light shirt on a sunny day and you’ll quickly be reminded that dark colours absorb light and heat up faster than lighter colours that reflect light. So why are those shade balls in the Los Angeles reservoirs black instead of white? Because their purpose is to be a cheap, durable, safe way of providing shade, but not to keep the reservoirs cool." say Mika McKinnon.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, for its part, contributed to the effort by rolling out thousands of small, black plastic balls to protect water quality by "preventing sunlight-triggered chemical reactions, deterring birds and other wildlife, and protecting water from rain and wind-blown dust," said LA Mayor, Eric Garcetti.
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| The black balls absorb the heat while protecting the water. Credit: Mika McKinnon.
Those who are familiar with Los Angeles say their weather can be excruciatingly hot in the summer, resulting in more water usage and evaporation.
|
The city has deployed a total of 96 million "shade balls" into the LA Reservoir in an effort to save 300 million gallons of water, according to Mashable, which confirmed that California was experiencing its worst drought on record.
So all hands and brain were on deck to conserve the state's precious water supply. But why are they a heat-absorbing black instead of light-reflecting white? Because they’re shade balls, and their purpose has nothing to do with the drought.
See video:
Additional Photos: (Credit: Mika McKinnon.)
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