California released “shade balls” to combat drought

By Kate Hassett

Image: Mic
Image: Mic
Are these "shade balls" the answer to a global water shortage?

For the past few years, California, has been in the midst of a colossal drought.

In April, California Governor, Jerry Brown implemented an executive order that demanded mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history.

Despite these restrictions, the effects of the drought have showed no signs of slowing down.

As such, researchers have been looking into designing new ways to combat this natural disaster.

On Monday, 20,000 “shade balls” were released into a Los Angeles reservoir as part of an effort that saw a total of 96 million released into the municipal water supply.

The idea behind the system works by covering the water’s surface area in order to act as a natural shield, preventing evaporation and blocking chemical reactions between chlorine and sunlight – that can lead to the formation of carcinogenic compounds.

The researchers behind the innovative solution have estimated that the preventative measures will save 300 million gallons of water each year.

Watch this oddly soothing video of how the innovation is implemented.

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