Shade Balls are small, floating, black spheres (balls) that protect open bodies of water like reservoirs that supply water to municipalities. Their purpose is to protect the water from contamination and evaporation. In the U.S., they were employed first to protect four Los Angeles reservoirs in 2008.
What Are Shade Balls Used For?
- Reducing Evaporation: They minimize water loss in reservoirs by blocking sunlight.
- Preventing Algae Growth: By limiting sunlight, they inhibit algae blooms.
- Protecting Water Quality: They reduce contamination and chemical reactions.
- Lowering Water Temperature: This helps maintain water quality.
- Reducing Maintenance Costs: They limit the need for chemical treatments and cleaning.
Do Shade Balls Actually Work?
Yes, shade balls are effective. They reduce water evaporation significantly, limit algae growth, and help maintain water quality by blocking sunlight. Studies show that they help to save millions of gallons of water annually, especially in drought-prone areas. They reduce the need for chemical treatments and help maintain cooler water temperatures.
The Real Benefits Of Shade Balls
Shade balls contribute to water conservation and environmental protection. This is the second life of this invention. Before shade balls were used to protect water sources, they were called bird balls. Bird balls were initially developed to deter birds from landing on toxic tailing ponds produced by mining operations.
Today, shade balls serve both purposes. Airports use them as bird balls on their drainage ponds to prevent birds from using them and colliding with airplanes. Municipalities and other entities also use them for various purposes:
- Municipal Water Authorities: To conserve water in reservoirs and maintain water quality.
- Environmental Agencies: To prevent evaporation and contamination.
- Industries: For water storage in mining, oil, and gas sectors.
- Agricultural Sectors: To protect irrigation ponds.
- Wildlife Management: To prevent birds from landing on contaminated water sources.
- Require almost no maintenance aside from occasional rotation.
What Is The Lifespan Of Shade Balls?
The lifespan of shade balls is about 10 years. They are designed to withstand environmental conditions, including UV exposure and temperature fluctuations.
How Big Are Reservoir Shade Balls?
Shade balls usually have a diameter of about four inches. This size allows them to cover the surface of bodies of water like reservoirs and ponds effectively to prevent evaporation and maintain water quality.
How Much Does a Shade Ball Cost?
Los Angeles was the first municipality to use shade balls to protect reservoirs in the U.S. In 2008, Los Angeles initially paid 36¢ per piece for shade balls, for a total of $1.5 million to serve four reservoirs.
As of 2024, the cost of shade balls can vary depending on the manufacturer, quantity ordered, and specific requirements of the project. Generally, shade balls cost around $0.25 to $0.35 per ball. Large-scale orders or customized designs may affect the price per unit.
Does LA Still Use Shade Balls?
Governing.com reported in 2015:
“Federal rules mandate that all bodies of drinking water open to the air be covered…Floating covers provide more of a complete barrier from both sunlight and airborne contaminants.”
As of 2018, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) planned to keep shade balls as a permanent solution to water quality issues only at the Los Angeles Reservoir, and replaces them every 10 years. The Los Angeles Reservoir is too large to install a cover that is cost-effective. LADWP has removed shade balls from and covered its other three reservoirs.
What Are Shade Balls Made Of?
Shade balls are manufactered from high-density polyethylene, a common plastic material used for durability and UV resistance. They are black, typically about 10 inches in diameter, and designed to reduce evaporation by 80 or 90 percent by providing shade from the sun.
What Chemical Is in Shade Balls?
Shade balls usually contain a small amount of a chemical called carbon black. Carbon black is a pigment that gives the balls their black color. It helps to block sunlight effectively, reduce evaporation, and prevent algae growth. Shade balls are generally made of polyethylene.
Why Are Shade Balls Black Instead of White?
Shade balls are black instead of white. Their function is to block sunlight and reduce evaporation in bodies of water like reservoirs. White shade balls would reflect more sunlight and heat, potentially allowing more light to penetrate the water and encouraging algae growth. Black shade balls have an ability to reduce evaporation and maintain water quality in various environmental conditions.
Why shade balls are black:
- Light Absorption: Black shade balls absorb sunlight and convert it into heat energy, which helps to warm the surface water slightly. This can prevent the formation of ice in colder climates and promote better circulation in warmer climates.
- Algae Prevention: Black shade balls block sunlight more effectively than white balls, reducing the light available for algae to grow. This helps maintain water quality by minimizing algae blooms.
- Durability: Black pigments, such as carbon black, are more resistant to UV degradation compared to white pigments. This ensures that the shade balls have a longer lifespan and maintain their effectiveness over time.
History of Shade Balls
A professor from the University of Southern California saw a Russian newscast in a Moscow hotel room highlighting the use of bird balls in ponds along airfield runways. As the idea spread among professionals, the Los Angeles Times reported that “…shade balls had their own hashtag, with one Twitter user quipping, ‘If you ever doubted that LA was the home to everything plastic’ … #shadeballs.”
Until then, the balls were known as bird balls. In 2008 bird balls were used to protect four Los Angeles open-air reservoirs and became known as shade balls. LADWP’s main objective was to prevent bromate, a carcinogenic chemical, from forming in its reservoirs.
Bromate forms when sunlight interacts with naturally occurring bromine and the chlorine added to prevent algae growth. By 2009, the LADWP had placed approximately 400,000 shade balls in its Ivanhoe Reservoir. Eventually Los Angeles had put shade balls in four reservoirs:
- Los Angeles Reservoir
- Ivanhoe Reservoir
- Elysian Reservoir
- Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir
In 2015, Greenmatters.com reported:
‘Officials released a slew of the newly-coined shade balls into the Idaho reservoir in order to combat a natural and highly toxic chemical reaction that occurs when sunlight hits bromide and chlorine.”
Photo credit: Harald Bischoff via CC BY-SA 3.0
