Shade Balls Cover and Protect Ivanhoe Reservoir

Councilmember Tom LaBonge throws the first shade ball into the Ivanhoe Reservoir in Silver Lake to protect the water from potential contamination.

CM LaBonge threw the first shade ball into the Ivanhoe Reservoir in Silver Lake on Monday, June 9th, to cover the surface and protect the water from potential contamination.

"For quality water for all of Los Angeles," the Councilmember said as he hoisted a 4-inch hollow black ball into the blue water.

Staff from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) then poured 400,000 of the balls from white bales into the reservoir and watched as they covered its surface.

Last fall, an unprecedented chemical reaction between naturally occurring bromide and chlorine was triggered by sunlight to produce low levels of bromate, a known carcinogen.

When the bromate was detected, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power acted quickly to take Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs out of service. Both reservoirs were drained in the first months of this year.

The shade balls will prevent the chlorinated water in the Ivanhoe Reservoir from sunlight to prevent the chemical reaction from occurring again.

LADWP is the first utility company to use Shade Balls to mitigate a water quality problem in drinking water.

"Nothing is more important than your own personal health so clean, high quality water is our top priority," the Councilmember said. "We are confident that this is the best, most efficient way to keep the drinking water safe and clean."

"As a Silver Lake resident, I know some people might not like their views interrupted by the shade balls," he added. "We will return the unobstructed views of the beautiful water of Ivanhoe Reservoir as soon as possible."

Together with Silver Lake Reservoir, Ivanhoe Reservoir serves drinking water to approximately 600,000 LADWP consumers in Downtown, Central and South Los Angeles.
The residents of the Silver Lake area receive their water from the Eagle Rock Reservoir.