Shade balls

With the large drought going on in the west, many solutions have been brought up by various individuals on how to combat the drought. One of these solutions went into action over the last couple of months. This solution was releasing 100 million black rubber balls. These balls are called shade balls and can prevent algae formation and wildlife. These balls are primarily used to prevent evaporation in the California water reserves. It is said that these shade balls could potentially save 300 million gallons of water each year. After about ten years, the balls will be replaced while the old ones are being recycled.

While many people applaud this idea, I am skeptical on how it will work. Even though it has been stated that they will prevent algae formation, it seems that rubber makes algae grow on it. I think that there are better solutions out there that haven’t been brought to the table that could save a lot of water. Even though I have no doubt that this is already occurring, there are many simple ways to cut down on water such as putting water bottles or milk gallons in the back of the toilet.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/millions-of-shade-balls-to-prevent-evaporation-in-calif-reservoirs-150813.htm