June 11, 2008: Black Balls

Department of Water and Power workers are emptying out bales of plastic balls in the Ivanhoe reservoir in Los Angeles to protect the water from sunlight.

Protect the water from sunlight? Say what?

Possible real reasons...

Make the public water taste more like bottled water by adding the plastic aftertaste?

Keep the ducks and geese from hanging out, flavoring the water themselves?

Using black plastic to warm the water, so you get water for your money?

Celebrating Obama's victory?

lowering the reflectivity to reduce evaporation?

Mankind has always dreamed of destroying the sun. [/Mr.Burns]

These balls are also used to deter birds from lakes and ponds near airport runways, pretty clever stuff

http://www.airport-int.com/categories/waterfowl-control-equipment/control-waterfowl-open-water-sites-bird-balls.asp

I wonder if I could use this method to heat my pool and stop the sun creating so much algae in the pool ??

Sure... and you could swim right through them.

Thanks for the link and welcome to the Cellar. :D

Cheers Bruce, I have been lurking for months and felt it was time to post :cool:

Here is another interesting link, I definatly need to get a load of these balls to use as a pool cover. I just cannot find anywhere that sells a bis amount of them at a decent price.

I have found multi coloured ones though which would look good :D

http://www.euro-matic.com/hollow.html

Black balls.. How lame! So the water will heat up and bacteria will be much happier. Should've used white or yellow or ?

Hey:) Welcome to the Cellar Stevecrm !

Looks like it *is* supposed to reduce bacteria growth...

http://gizmodo.com/5015148/400000-bouncy-black-balls-invade-reservoir-to-stop-carcinogen

I thought this was about somebody's blue balls gone from bad to worse.

DanaC;461258 wrote:

Hey:) Welcome to the Cellar Stevecrm !

Thankyou for the welcome :cool:

It's a more evil version of the ball pit at Chuck-E-Cheese. It's not funny. Children are running into the reservoir and drowning. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

SPUCK;461245 wrote:

Black balls.. How lame! So the water will heat up and bacteria will be much happier. Should've used white or yellow or ?

the bacteria and algae thrive a lot better if they are in sunlight, so if the sunlight is blocked the water will not be so green :)

well, you wont be able to see how green it is because there is loads of black balls floating on it :eyebrow:

lol! Welcome stevecrm.

well, you wont be able to see how green it is because there is loads of black balls floating on it

Like plastic couch covering.

What happens when algae or whatever starts growing on the balls. (ewwwwww)

slimey balls :greenface

ew ew ew

Shawnee123;461279 wrote:

It's a more evil version of the ball pit at Chuck-E-Cheese. It's not funny. Children are running into the reservoir and drowning. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

And what's the downside?


Welcome to the Cellar, Jazbees, thanks for the link. :D

xoxoxoBruce;461345 wrote:

And what's the downside?

The downside is the rotting flesh is getting all over the black balls. Have you ever tried to clean a million little balls? :blush:

shawnee123 wrote:

Have you ever tried to clean a million little balls?

nope - just two, thanks.:rolleyes:

Shawnee123;461349 wrote:

...Have you ever tried to clean a million little balls? :blush:

Not yet, but i have a dream!

:lol:

Jazbees;461261 wrote:

Looks like it *is* supposed to reduce bacteria growth...

http://gizmodo.com/5015148/400000-bouncy-black-balls-invade-reservoir-to-stop-carcinogen

Not bacteria, the chemical bromate, which is formed when sunlight hits

the chlorine and bromide in the water

.

Science, schmience. They should have used thousands of little rubber duckies to hold the water down. Never pass up a good excuse to have fun!

sweetwater;461470 wrote:

Science, schmience. They should have used thousands of little rubber duckies to hold the water down. Never pass up a good excuse to have fun!

That would require a drastic change to the rubber ducky theme song! I, for one, would not stand for that.
:mad:

stevecrm;461243 wrote:

I just cannot find anywhere that sells a big amount of them at a decent price.

LOL!! I hadn't thought of the incongruity of walking into a toy store and asking the first salesperson I see: "Pardon me, but do you have big black balls?":lol2:

especially if the employee was a big black guy.


i think i might just do that to see what kind of reaction i'd get.

Happy Monkey;461400 wrote:

Not bacteria, the chemical bromate, which is formed when sunlight hits .

From stevecrm's first link, the manufacturer claims...

Reduces sunlight penetration, therefore eliminates duckweed and algae growth

From stevecrm's second link, the manufacturer claims...

Reduces penetration of Ultra Violet rays, precluding growth of algae and clogging weeds.

It was the CA water dept's idea that they might prevent Bromate, but the ball maker doesn't make that claim.

Shawnee123;461279 wrote:

It's a more evil version of the ball pit at Chuck-E-Cheese. It's not funny. Children are running into the reservoir and drowning. THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

needed a "swallow beverage of your choice first" warning.