Los Angeles, USA the most densely populated and driest one of the cities. Therefore, the country is trying to take all precautions to protect water resources. One of these is that in 2015, 96 million euros were poured into the city’s water reservoirs. black plastic ball had to leave.

So what was the purpose of these balls and did they really work? Who knows, maybe in the future You also see these kinds of scenes in Turkey Anyway, we’ll see, let’s get back to our topic and explain what exactly these balls are:

Shadow balls are designed to prevent water evaporation and chemical reactions.

Los Angeles, annual average 378 mm of rain fell a town. This is the driest region of Turkey. Even from the Southeastern Anatolia region fewer. Therefore, the city has to bring water from distant places to meet its water needs. However, some of this water is Because of the warm and sunny climate evaporates in reservoirs. This causes both water loss and costs.

To prevent this, the Los Angeles Water and Power Department (LASED) has developed a method to reduce evaporation by shading the water surface. This method is water 96 million black plastic balls It was just a matter of letting go. These balls“shadowballs” It was called and each has a diameter of 10 centimeters and approx 240 to 260 grams It weighed. The inside of the balls was filled with water so that they would not be blown away by the wind.

Another benefit of the shade balls was preventing chemical reactions by preventing water from coming into contact with sunlight.

In particular, a substance called chloramine is exposed to sunlight. bromate, a carcinogen could create. This endangered the quality and safety of the water. Thanks to shadow balls, this risk is also reduced. These balls saved water, but environmental effects controversial.

LASED, shade balls per year A saving of 1.1 billion liters of water claimed to have provided it. This corresponds to approximately 440 Olympic swimming pools. In addition, the energy and money spent on heating and purifying water also decreased. LASED, shadow The cost of the weapons is $34.5 million He stated that it would pay for itself within ten years.

Not everyone found these black balls very useful.

Some experts say black balls can heat water and increase evaporation told. Some also say that the balls can wear out over time, releasing microplastic particles into the water, which can can harm living beings Put forward.

LASED, on the other hand, argued that these concerns were unfounded and that shadow balls were safe and effective. Self, the balls; made of food-safe plastic He stated that it was made and did not contain any harmful substances. Moreover, the heating of the water is unimportant and Does not affect evaporation He also said.

This method, as a temporary solution is seen and other alternatives are being sought. While shade balls are a step toward solving Los Angeles’ water problem, they may not be enough in the long run. As the city’s water needs continue to increase and So is the risk of drought as a result of climate change rising. Therefore, more sustainable and efficient water management methods need to be developed.

One of these methods is recycle water. This means: purifying wastewater and making it reusable. So both the protection of water resources and improve water quality rather can be effective. However, there are some issues regarding the cost and social acceptance of this method.

Another method is storage of water underground. That is, pumping excess water into natural aquifers and withdrawing it when necessary. In this way, water evaporation can be prevented and it can be useful to raise the groundwater level, but this method can also technical and legal issues there is.

First At the Ivanhoe Dam in 2009 This method was also tried in the Los Angeles dam. Although this solution worries some experts, it is certain that it provides an effective solution under previous circumstances. In 2015, Shadow balls have also been removed from all dams except the Los Angeles dam.

This solution implemented by Los Angeles was widely discussed in Turkey at the time, but no steps were taken.

As you know, Türkiye is especially popular during the summer months. It’s like we’re in the middle of the desert It can burn wildly. In our opinion, it is not unreasonable to adopt such a method, especially in these times when the global climate is changing so much. There has been a lot of talk in the past about its implementation in our country, but the authorities -as usual- I didn’t take it very seriously.

We wouldn’t be surprised if we see black balls in the drafts in the coming years, but we’re not sure if it will have any effect after this time. rain and snow that does not fall even in winter We can no longer predict whether it will rain in the summer and fill the dams.

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