In reaction to Ashley Rutherford’s letter titled, “The lake does not stink”, which was published on this website on March 23, 2017, I wish to state the Boksburg Lake and its surrounding landscape have been allowed to deteriorate over decades.
It is now an unhealthy and unattractive environment for birds, ducks, fish and humans.
Ekurhuleni metro has appointed a service provider to investigate what causes the stench.
An Environmental Authorisation must be attained by June 2018 so that they can proceed to rehabilitate the lake by July next year.
The public is waiting to comment on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and the Water Licence Application, required for the Environmental Authorisation from government.
This EIA report requires extensive research by a specialist. In order for the public to comment on this report, they need access to these specialist reports, not just on water quality, but also on the sustainability and attractiveness of the lake and its surrounding landscape.
This sustainability involves:
- Assessing the water quality and control required not just of the lake but also of the continuous storm water inflow into the lake from the surrounding region.
- q There is also a deep layer of polluted silt at the bottom of the lake that must be dredged.
- q In order to sustain the lake and ensure better water quality, it is necessary to landscape the shore of the lake in order to establish biodiversity habitats so that the fish can breed and flourish and ducks can once again waddle onto the shore.
With proper planning and control, we can turn this lake into an attractive asset for Boksburg and its people.
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