Bruma Lake project to start in March

Mr Nthatisi Modingoane, spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), said the procurement to start construction on Bruma Lake by March 1 is about to be concluded.

It is anticipated that the R45-million project will be complete by October 2014.

The project involves filling the lake and reinstating the stream through reshaping the lake basin.

This involves impeding or diverting the flow of water in the water course, altering the bed, banks and characteristics of the watercourse.

The city plans to convert the lake into a river because it is a major source of pollution in the area.

Over the years, residents and business owners raised concerns about the stench emanating from the lake due to the sewage and litter floating on the water. The smell was especially bad during summer months.

Members of the public and chairperson of the Jukskei River Catchment Area Management Forum, Mr Paul Fairall, raised concerns on numerous occasions about the threat of cholera and other diseases posed by the water in the lake and river.

He urged the city to address the health concerns after tests he had conducted confirmed the presence or e-coli in the river. He attributed the high e-coli count in the river and lake to a breakdown in the inner city’s sewerage system and overcrowded buildings in the inner city that did not have sufficient toilets.

When asked what the city is doing to prevent the stench in Bruma until the lake is converted into a river, Mr Modingoane said, “The city has funding through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to remove litter and debris until construction starts.

“The city has extensive river monitoring, of which Bruma is part. E-coli levels vary from month to month,” he said. Nutrient tests are also conducted.

“The flow of sewage varies on a daily basis. The city’s department of housing is addressing the bad buildings in the inner city and Johannesburg Water is also addressing the sewer infrastructure,” said Mr Modingoane.

He said the city is relying on the litter trap that has been constructed upstream of the lake to filter pollutants, the gabion weirs in the Observatory stream to address the silt problems and the litter baskets on some of the storm water outlets.

A few months ago Ms Millicent Kabwe from Joburg Water acknowledged that one of the contributors to sewage entering Bruma Lake is the superimposed sewer infrastructure in the inner city.

According to her, the sewer infrastructure, especially the manholes which open up into the storm water, is damaged.

This results in storm water entering the sewers and causing blockages. Overflowing sewage enters the storm water infrastructure and finds its way into Bruma Lake.

Joburg Water is replacing its damaged infrastructure.