Mattresses, couches, trolleys, tyres, trees, a television, construction waste and car parts were among the items that were removed from the Black River since the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate started dredging in September 2021. This work is being done as part of ongoing river maintenance and programmes to improve inland water quality.

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has to date spent more than R10 million on cleaning and removing about 5000m3 volume of material from the Black River during its current dredging operation. This equates to about 650 truckloads of dried out material that was transported to the relevant disposal site.

This includes removing silt, litter, alien vegetation such as invasive water hyacinth, which clogs up the river in this section, as well as solid waste such as mattresses, couches, a television, trolleys, tyres, trees, construction waste and car parts.

What to know about dredging
Dredging is taking place on a section of the Black River running alongside the N2, between the M52 Raapenberg Road bridge and where the M17 Jan Smuts Drive crosses the river. A section of the Black River upstream from Jan Smuts Drive has already been dredged.

Dredging is the mechanical removal of accumulated sediments/silt deposits, including invasive water plants, litter and solid waste using excavators.

Over time, this area has silted up and become concentrated with both pollution and alien invasive vegetation. The polluted top layer of sediment is being removed leaving cleaner sand underneath.

Excavators inside the river excavate the sediments and move the dredged material towards the river banks. The material would be lifted by means of a long boom excavator to stockpile it 10m away from the banks and allow for dewatering for three weeks or more before the material can be carted away to the relevant disposal site.

Dredging on track
‘Improving the water quality of our inland waterways such as rivers is a priority for the City. For this reason, I am very pleased to know the Water and Sanitation team is on track and 70% of the 2km stretch of Black River has already been cleaned. Water quality here has also improved. This operation is also making the river deeper to reduce the local flooding risk going forward. The river banks have also been re-established to prevent erosion and sloped very well for better appearance of the river.

‘Thank you to the Catchment, Stormwater and River Management Branch (CSRM) within Water and Sanitation for their tireless efforts to ensure dredging is taking place. Thank you also to the City’s Invasive Species Unit and the LitterBoom Projects for their assistance with removing heavy solid waste objects that could not be removed by the LitterBoom team.

‘Dredging will continue until April, if all goes as planned.

‘The health of our waterways is everyone’s business. We are working towards becoming a water sensitive city so this maintenance programme is one way to assist with improving the water quality in our rivers. Residents are reminded that they also have a part to play. Please don’t use waterways as dumping grounds for your unwanted furniture, car parts and other waste items. Let’s work together to improve the health of our inland waterways,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

Source: City Of Cape Town