Lake revival takes step in the right direction
The metro has made some progress since the initiative was launched in September 2021.
The Tshwane metro has finally broken its silence on the progress of the Centurion Lake rehabilitation initiative, which aims to mitigate flooding risks and improve water quality in the surrounding areas.
Last week, Rekord reported that residents had been left in the dark regarding the initiative’s progress since its launch.
Previous attempts to revive the lake date back to 2019, when a rehabilitation project was undertaken but faced setbacks due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo recently told Rekord that the metro is happy with the progress that it has made since the current initiative was launched in September 2021.
He said approximately 294 000 cubic metres of sand and silt have been removed from the lake thus far.
“The lake gets drained annually ahead of the dry winter season. The accumulated sediment is removed mechanically to create channels within the lake basin to allow proper flow of water.”
Mashigo said the metro has observed that the water level drops significantly after heavy rainfall, thus minimising the flooding risk.
“The litter trap was installed in the Hennops River about 300m downstream from its start to divert waste out of the river,” he said.
Mashigo acknowledged that adjustments were necessary for the trap to work effectively, especially after recent rainfall revealed areas for improvement.
Community involvement also played an important role in the project, with residential estates contributing financially to the litter trap’s construction and installation.
“The litter trap was designed by a council engineer and was fully sponsored by the private sector and residential estates around the Hennops River.
We are hoping that once we have mastered it, the downstream communities will see a lot less waste coming down after each rainfall.”
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Mashigo said the metro is grateful to everyone who made financial contributions to manufacture and install the flotation device, the tree trap, and the required tree clearing.
He said despite these advancements, questions regarding water quality improvement remain.
While the litter trap is expected to divert waste out of the river, the metro noted that addressing water quality requires a different solution.
“Most of the pollution is coming from Ekurhuleni, and the matter is discussed regularly at the Hennops River Catchment Forum.
The metro has been exploring a solution that is being applied at the Hartbeespoort Dam to great effect, but it is expensive, and we would need greater financial support from interested parties to implement it,” added Mashigo.
Looking ahead, the metro hopes to develop a tyre trap to capture tyres washing down the river and install additional litter traps at strategic locations.
Mashigo said continued tree removal efforts are also necessary to prevent large trees from obstructing waterways, particularly near low-lying bridges.
He said if further financial support can be secured for water quality solutions, it could significantly rejuvenate the river and alleviate unpleasant odour affecting nearby communities.
“The annual winter maintenance activities at the Centurion Lake will continue for as long as there is illegal sand mining taking place upstream in Ekurhuleni.”
The metro’s partnership with organisations such as Outsurance and Hennops Revival has also played a vital role in the project’s success.
Mashigo said this collaboration demonstrates the power of the private sector, civic society, and local government working together to address a difficult issue that has baffled many over the years.
“Forging these kinds of alliances is how one creates trust among stakeholders that together is better and that more can be achieved by combining our expertise to seek and support creative, inclusive solutions,” he said.
He added that the metro is grateful to both organisations for their willingness to collaborate with the city to improve the state of the Hennops River.
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