Diapers: the future of water conservation?

Eighth graders from Ball Junior High School in Anaheim received a small grant to study how disposable diapers planted in soil could play a role in alleviating the impact of the California drought.

The idea is simple: by using pieces of disposable diapers when planting crops, the diaper can reduce the amount of water needed for the plant. Because the diaper retains moisture, in theory, when the soil gets dry, the diaper should release the needed water to the plant for rehydration.

To test this theory, the two eighth graders received a $454 grant from the Anaheim Union High School District Student Service Foundation to plant beds of crops to test the theory.

“It’s been fun working in the garden together and figuring out how to conserve water in California,” one of the students told the Orange County Register.