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Millions of plastic balls are being used to help battle the record drought in Los Angeles.
This week, 20,000 weighted "shade balls" were released into the Los Angeles Reservoir, bringing the total number of balls layered across the top of the water's surface to 96 million.
Each shade ball costs 36 cents.
The balls are considered a cost-effective way to conserve water and ensure drinking water quality. They block much of the sunlight from hitting the water, which protects it from chemical reactions that could cause algae blooms and other environmental exposures.
The LA Reservoir contains more than 3.3 billion gallons of water. Officials estimate the balls will keep 300 million gallons from evaporating each year.
