from ACWA
Calling it an “important cost-effective water quality investment,” the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power along with several city officials late Monday afternoon placed the final batch of black, plastic balls into the Los Angeles Reservoir to complete a project to cover the reservoir’s 175-acre surface with a total of 96 million “shade balls.”
During a news conference at the Van Norman Complex in Sylmar where the reservoir is located, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Council Members Mitch Englander and Felipe Fuentes, LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards, LADWP Senior Assistant General Manager of the Water System Marty Adams and various staff helped pour the last 20,000 shade balls into the reservoir.
LADWP says the project will help it comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality requirements for drinking water and save more than 300 million gallons of water annually. The 4-inch black plastic balls are weighted and float on the water’s surface blocking sunlight to reduce evaporation and prevent chemical reactions and algae blooms.
According to LADWP, in-house biologist Dr. Brian White – who is now retired – created the shade ball solution, which has been used in other LADWP open-air reservoirs since 2008.