Shade Balls in California Reservoirs (contractors, maintenance, costs)

[bigdumbgod]

This is one of those forums, based on the title, one uses caution diving into. Ready for anything!


But this concept begs the question: It's 2015. If this is such a great idea, wouldn't the great minds in great civilizations past have come up with this and utilized it, or something quite similar? At any rate, somebody making balls got a friend in high places to land one hell of a contract.

"Junior, what do you want to do with your life?"

"I wanna rock! Wait, no, I wanna make balls! Then rock!"

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

This is one of those forums, based on the title, one uses caution diving into. Ready for anything!


But this concept begs the question: It's 2015. If this is such a great idea, wouldn't the great minds in great civilizations past have come up with this and utilized it, or something quite similar? At any rate, somebody making balls got a friend in high places to land one hell of a contract.

Guess you just jumped in without reading...


The utility has been testing the concept since 2008

[cre8lite]

so lemme see if i understand the concept - we fill the balls with water & then we release them into the water, all in an effort to SAVE the water? where's the water coming from that goes into the balls? did that water contribute to the drought???

[MaxLMG]

The idea is that the shade balls will cover the surface area of the water essentially creating a 'lid' on the water. As far as the water inside the balls, I am assuming they are sealed, although I'm sure many will start to leak well before 25 yrs. It was cheaper to fill them with water rather than make them solid and spend more $$$ on material.

It's not a bad idea. There is evaporation of water even if it's not boiling. Again, as heat is typically an element in a chemical reaction, I find it hard to believe that there will not be eventual water leeching from the plastic chemicals.

[MaxLMG]

Eventually Los Angeles needs to address the "real" problem instead of tossing plastic balls into the reservoir. Los Angeles needs to upgrade a lot of the old piping system that is leaking water.



http://graphics.latimes.com/la-aging...nfrastructure/

L.A. identifies riskiest pipes in aging water system - LA Times

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

Guess you just jumped in without reading...


The utility has been testing the concept since 2008

I'm talking about antiquity. Did Egypt, Greece, Rome, Incas, Aztecs, etc. ever try this?

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by MaxLMG

Eventually Los Angeles needs to address the "real" problem instead of tossing plastic balls into the reservoir. Los Angeles needs to upgrade a lot of the old piping system that is leaking water.



http://graphics.latimes.com/la-aging...nfrastructure/

L.A. identifies riskiest pipes in aging water system - LA Times

That, or we just move masses of people to Texas.

[DriveNotCommute]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

That, or we just move masses of people to Texas.

And for the sake of irony, specifically onto floodplains out there.

[lvoc]

Economics are the question. They are spending about $30,000 to save an AF of water per year. That AF is worth something betweein $20. and $1100. First is the price paid by a CA farmer for an AF from the Colorado the second is the purported price of an AF from the new Carlsbad desalinization plant. Normal wholesale price between wholesale distributors in southern NV is $200. 25 year life is better than I was expecting...So if it is worth the high price they almost break even in 25 years.

Hard to see how it computes.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute

And for the sake of irony, specifically onto floodplains out there.

Much of the place is a plain. A plain plain.