Metro’s new speedboat will revitalise water bodies
The speed boat is equipped with a 200-litre herbicide spraying unit designed to spray aquatic invasive plants such as water hyacinth, Mexican lilies, water grass and many others found in the water bodies and shorelines.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2018/10/43srgenboatsz_25625.jpg)
The summer season brings with it increased water temperature levels and as such increases the presence of the invasive water plants in the water bodies.
Therefore, in addition to the watermaster machine purchased by the city almost ten years ago, the metro resolved to boost the water body maintenance equipment by investing in a 12-seater speed boat to efficiently and effectively attend to water bodies maintenance issues as and when required.
The speedboat is equipped with a 200-litre herbicide spraying unit designed to spray aquatic invasive plants such as water hyacinth, Mexican lilies, water grass and many others found in the water bodies and shorelines.
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The water invasive plants predominantly grow in the metro’s water bodies such as the Murray Park Dam, Kleinfontein Dam, Middle Lake, Civic Lake and Homestead Dam in Benoni, Jan Smuts Dam in Brakpan, and Victoria Lake in Germiston and all other small water bodies around the city.
“Furthermore, in an effort to ensure efficient clearing of all the city’s water bodies, the city has employed the services of dedicated staff members comprising seven wetland attendants and two watermaster operators.
“As a long-term solution, the metro is working on introducing biological methods such as beetles, weevils and indigenous fish species, to control the growth of alien invasive plants in water bodies,” says metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe.
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