Centurion Lake rehabilitation an uphill battle

The buildup of silt is only one of the issues the Centurion lake is facing, according to Hennops River Revival founder Tarryn Johnston.

This buildup prevents the natural water flow at the lake and increases the chances of flooding.

Efforts to rehabilitate the Centurion Lake continued to face an uphill battle.

The rehabilitation programme began in 2019 and was allocated a R28.6-million budget.

The project aimed to return natural flow to the lake and prevent flooding.

“The silt lies above the water level and is spread throughout the entire lake and causes a myriad of problems,” Johnston said.

“Primarily, silt prevents natural water flow on the lake and increases the chances of flooding.”

The heavy rainfall experienced at the beginning of the year caused mass flooding in Centurion, particularly areas surrounding the lake.

Besides these challenges, the metro continues to be steadfast in its efforts to clean the lake up.

“The team seems to be facing an uphill battle. They have a lot of work ahead of them but I’m very happy with the progress they have been able to make thus far,” said Johnson.

With its beautiful waterworks display, the lake used to be a very popular hangout for Centurion residents.

“I have many fond memories of partying by the lake with my friends in the evenings.

“They had live performances and people would come here with their families,” said Johnston.

Unfortunately, the waterworks will not be restored as the main function is to clean the lake and make it fully functional to prevent flooding in the future.

Pollution and littering have always been a major cause of concern.

To make matters even worse, a large section of the lake’s metal litter trap system was broken and looted, meaning some of the litter runs into the Hennops River, further exacerbating the littering situation the river faces.

Most of the pollution that pours into the lake is a result of upstream activities in informal settlements, according to Johnston.

“Thankfully the wetland next to the lake is still functional and serves to clean the lake’s water that runs into the Hennops River.”

Johnston said it was essential that this wetland is protected and preserved if residents of Gauteng want clean running water in the future.

“People need to understand that water is a finite resource and the way we treat it at the moment is not sustainable at all.

“We need to be more mindful of our actions because they have consequences that cannot be rectified and will have an adverse impact not only on our fellow citizens but on generations to come,” added Johnston.

The lake is surrounded by many businesses including the Centurion Hotel, and the metro has received numerous complaints about the smell emanating from the lake.

In his recent State of the Capital Address, Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said he remained committed to seeing the project through.

“We embarked on this intensive lake maintenance programme last year already when we ensured that there would be a sufficient budget available for this work in the 2021/22 financial year.

“I am pleased to report that great progress has been made.

“Levels of silt and sand that accumulated over the years have been reduced to improve the flow of the river,” he said.

Additional comment on the progress of the rehabilitation project had not yet been received by the metro by our time of going to press.

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