Harvesting and eradication processes began again when the City of Ekurhuleni recommitted to ridding Civic Lake of the invasive hyacinth.
Work abruptly stopped last June after the multi-million rand amphibious excavator ran aground and became stuck in the mud.
At the time, the former MMC for Water and Sanitation, André du Plessis, said the excavator’s stabilisers were stuck and that hydraulic bags needed to be deployed at the bottom of the machine to bring it ashore for a thorough assessment.
Despite its position, the removal process continued.
However, according to the metro spokesperson, Zweili Dlamini, the excavator was moved to President Dam in Springs on June 21.
“The machine suffered metal fatigue on the rake, and burst hydraulic hoses were replaced before moving it to its new location,” said Dlamini.
“The repair costs were R40 000, but the machine is fully operational.”
In its place, a water harvester was launched at Civic Lake, with growing mounds of drying hyacinth on the banks of the lake attesting to the City’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the iconic body of water.
“The harvester floats on the water, clearing hyacinth in the process,” he said.
“Using a conveyor belt, the plants are stored in a container at the back of the vessel. When filled, the contents get emptied on the banks of the lake.
“Then the hyacinth is left to dry before it gets spread across the lawn as fertiliser.”
Dlamini said the CoE recently increased efforts to remove the plant from water bodies across the metro because cooler temperatures limit the plant’s growth.
“Once the coverage was reduced to manageable levels of 10%, biological and chemical measures will be implemented to manage its growth,” said Dlamini.
“It is important to understand it is not possible to eradicate hyacinth completely once it has established itself, but with sustainable management programmes, we will be able to revive our lakes and dams, which for years were completely covered.”
Dlamini explained that hyacinth seeds could remain dormant for up to 20 years, only germinating once there were optimal growth conditions.
“It is crucial the removal process continues unhindered,” he said.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Council aims to remove 90% of hyacinth during winter
ALSO READ: Hooray for Homestead’s hyacinth heroes
