Mattresses, couches, trolleys, tyres, trees, a television, construction waste and car parts were among the items that were removed from the Black River since the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate started dredging in September 2021.
This work is being done as part of ongoing river maintenance and programmes to improve inland water quality.
The City has to date spent more than R10 million on cleaning and removing about 5000 cubic metre volume of material from the Black River during its current dredging operation.
This equates to about 650 truckloads of dried out material that was transported to the relevant disposal site.
Dredging is taking place on a section of the Black River running alongside the N2, between the M52 Raapenberg Road bridge and where the M17 Jan Smuts Drive crosses the river. A section of the Black River upstream from Jan Smuts Drive has already been dredged.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien says improving the water quality of our inland waterways such as rivers is a priority for the City.
The health of our waterways is everyone’s business. We are working towards becoming a water sensitive city so this maintenance programme is one way to assist with improving the water quality in our rivers. Residents are reminded that they also have a part to play. Please don’t use waterways as dumping grounds for your unwanted furniture, car parts and other waste items. Let’s work together to improve the health of our inland waterways.
