A cloud of death hangs over Willow Park
"Its so defeating that nobody wanted to give attention to this issue"
Stephan Lehman
Events at Willow Park, a space with the potential to be picturesque, had residents up in arms last week.
The NEWS visited the park on Wednesday and as one walked closer to the water’s edge, the reason for the residents’ aggravation was immediately identified – dead fish floating on the surface of the water or washed up on the banks of the dam as swarms of flies buzzed over their flesh.
The stench of sewage hung over the streams leading into the dam.
A concerned Bedfordview resident and local fisherman, Kyle Hoedemaker, contacted the NEWS and highlighted his concerns about the dam.
Hoedemaker has been fishing at the dam once a week for the past six years.
When the NEWS spoke to Hoedemaker, he said he realised something was wrong when he went to the dam on the morning of May 17.
Noticing something was amiss, Hoedemaker tried to get hold of as many people as possible for assistance.
Ward councillor Heather Hart (ward 18) was there to help.
Hoedemaker added that when, two hours later, he arrived home, he was physically ill from the sight of the dead fish.
Hart said Hoedemaker was among several of the residents who contacted her.
She said the community members claimed sewage was leaking into the dam.
Inspector Jade Nel of the the Edenvale SPCA urged the municipality to test the water to determine what had contaminated it.
Hoedemaker explained that he had noticed the water quality at the park deteriorating for some time but never realised it was so bad.
“When water quality in a dam deteriorates the population of barbel tends to increase while carp and bass populations start to decrease or die,” said Hoedemaker.
This is the second incident of fish dying at local dams.
In the April 26 edition of the NEWS, in the article Huge rock cause of sewer spill at Gillooly’s dam, the NEWS also reported on fish dying.
Themba Gadebe, spokesperson of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM), said at the time that it was found that a rock had blocked a sewage pipe south of Gillooly’s Farm.
The sewage then flowed into the dam and killed the fish.
A request for comment was sent to the communications department of the EMM on May 18.
Comment was requested for May 19 at 10.30am.
At the time of going to print not comment had been received.
Read the update to this story, on this page.
