Zoo Lake pool a victim of City bureaucracy
PARKVIEW - Last week the Zoo Lake pool was drained after it was overtaken by algae.
Residents in the weeks prior have been complaining about the pool not being cleaned, with its usability diminished, due to the non-payment and non-delivery of chemicals.
Law firm Dewey, Hertzberg and Levy filed a complaint to the City Manager and the manager of the Aquatics Department Mr. Mbulelo Bezu, citing that the non-delivery of chemicals for the past month was in fact a contravention of the City’s own bylaws.
In the provisions set out under the City of Johannesburg’s Metropolitan Municipality Public Health bylaws, “Water in the swimming pool must be purified, treated and maintained to an adequate quality at all times”.
On 17 November, Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck held a meeting with officials from the city representing both Region E and Region B to discuss the situation.
Certain facilities in and around Zoo Lake, such as the swimming pool, are still managed by Region E, while most of the suburb falls under Region B. Therefore in general, sometimes communication and correspondence between the two regions is misdirected or omitted to the ward councillor and other relevant parties.
As a byproduct of the City’s organisational structure, there appeared to be a supply chain problem regarding the delivery of the relevant chemicals needed to treat the pool.
The products being used and the company supplying the products had changed resulting in a backlog in the paperwork needed to process the delivery of these chemicals.
The problem extrapolates beyond the Zoo Lake pool, where all the city’s public swimming pools occasionally do not get the correct resources delivered to them.
Thus, pools intermittently go green and are overwhelmed by algae due to the PH balance not being treated.
Truluck had stated that the line of communication between the two regions and himself would hopefully be improved.
However, representative for the Dewey, Hertzberg and Levy, Kate Pater notes that the reasons provided for by the City are not sufficient justification of nothing being done.
“It’s ridiculous that we have to launch a court application” she said.
Currently the Zoo Lake pool has been refilled with clean water and appears to be in pristine condition ahead of the water polo event that will be taking place over the weekend.
The City could not be contacted for comment before publishing.
