In the midst of California’s relentless drought, one major California city is quite literally keep its eye on the ball.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other city officials gathered at the Los Angeles Reservoir Monday to release 20,000 plastic “shade” balls into the water. But that’s just a drop in the bucket because, with the final 20,000 now released, the total number of shade balls has reached an unfathomable 96 million.
The effort is part of a $34.5 million initiative aimed at protecting the city’s water quality.
The mayor’s website explains how it all works:
“The small, black plastic balls protect water quality by preventing sunlight-triggered chemical reactions, deterring birds and other wildlife, and protecting water from rain and wind-blown dust.”
The black balls—each about 4 inches in diameter—are expected to save the city $250 million and prevent the loss of some 300 million gallons of water. They do not emit chemicals and are expected to last about a decade, DWP officials said.
“In the midst of California’s historic drought, it takes bold ingenuity to maximize my goals for water conservation,” Mayor Garcetti said. “This effort by LADWP is emblematic of the kind of the creative thinking we need to meet those challenges.”
Care to learn more about the project? Go ahead. The ball is in your court.