A LARGE dam at Ouyen in Victoria will be covered in hundreds of hexagonal plastic pieces in an attempt to reduce evaporation.
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water will be one of the first in Australia to trial AquaArmour early next year.
AquaArmour is a hollow hexagonal piece of plastic, about 1.2m in diameter.
The pieces will float on the 4ha dam to shield the water from sun and wind.
GWM Water spokeswoman Suzanne Hutchinson said the trial will run for up to a year, but early results should be available within a month.
"Approximately 32 per cent of our water storage volumes are lost to evaporation, and we are hoping the trial will show up to a 90 per cent reduction in these losses," Ms Hutchinson said.
"The floating modules may also show a reduced risk of algae blooms and an increase in water quality."
The units, made by Aqua Guardian, are expected to be installed in January. Aqua Guardian chief executive Nigel Blair said a second dam near the trial site would give GWM Water a comparison.
He said the AquaArmour would cover about half the trial dam.
"We'll be looking at the water temperature and oxygen, and refining the number to be deployed," Mr Blair said.
He said the units took on water as a ballast, and weighed about 60kg. He said they cost about $20 per square metre.
Aqua Guardian decided to float on the stock exchange to raise $3.75 million for development, and to test the market.
The company has delayed the listing until the stock market stabilises.
