Having a free botanical wonderland to visit that is as gorgeous as Kloofendal Nature Reserve is something that all Roodepoort residents can be grateful for.
Spectacular plants and animals call the reserve their home, but unfortunately, residents may be unsuspectingly putting the flora and fauna under threat. There are two main sewerage lines from surrounding neighbourhoods that run through the reserve, and the pipes are now under strain due to residents flushing insoluble items down their toilets.
Most people know that foreign objects should not be flushed, but have a mentality that ‘just once won’t do any damage’. However, if an entire community is thinking ‘just once’, the damage builds up anyway and one time becomes one too many.
Spillage from the sewerage pipes is contaminating the water in the reserve, which puts the plants and animals in danger. Kloofendal Nature Reserve is home to several animals, from the frogs and fish to the dassies and mountain reedbucks, all of which rely on the water from the dam. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), and Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) are pleading with residents to help preserve the ecological treasure by refraining from flushing any foreign objects down their toilets. These items include plastic, wash cloths, hair extensions, sanitary towels and tampons, nappies, wet wipes, and basically anything other than toilet paper and your bodily waste.
According to Karin Spottiswoode, a member of FroK who spends the majority of her time at the reserve, the most common causes for the blockages are tampons and wet wipes. “To all the residents in the area, please don’t flush anything you are not supposed to down the toilets. Despite what the packaging says, wet wipes are not soluble or biodegradable,” pleaded Karin.
She added that the seriousness of this issue is often overlooked, but it is ever-increasing. The problem of the overflowing sewage is becoming more and more prevalent, so residents will need to do their part to assist.
