Plan to treat dam water in pipeline in an algaecide first for Africa

CLEARER water is in the pipeline for Roodeplaat Dam which has been heavily congested by algae and hyacinth build-up.

In a first for South Africa and Africa, a new algaecide – which does not harm the environment and ensures results in just 48 hours – will be added to the body of water during the course of the week.

Petrus Venter of the Department of Water and Sanitation said the condition of the Roodeplaat Dam had deteriorated over the years due to inclement weather which resulted in more inflow in the dam and human intervention.

“Modern civilisation is not a noble thing and is destructive in its nature. We need to find a balance,” said Venter, who is in charge of the Roodeplaat and Hartbeespoort dams.

Over the years wetland plants had been dying all around the dam, he said, and the shoreline’s natural conditions were almost depleted.

“We will never again have this dam in the condition it was when I was 5 years old; we then had a lot of aqua species, but their numbers have dwindled. You hardly see birds here because the conditions don’t favour them.”

Managing man-made wetlands could improve the situation over time, he said. But those were also being depleted due to developments along the shore.

The department has approved this treatment as an emergency measure. But in the long term, we need more awareness, Venter said.

Venter said emergency funding for initiatives such as this was also a problem. “There is not enough funding. In the past, we had access to emergency funds. I have written many emergency statements but funding remains a problem.”

Debbie Muir, a specialist programme manager from the Department of Environmental Affairs, commended the algaecide to treat the water, clogged by high volumes of algae and hyacinth, for its effects and its environmentally friendly qualities.

“It is an encapsulated product which is slowly released and absorbed by the algae which then disintegrates through a process of oxygen and water, and there are no harmful effects.”

About five tons which cost about R2 million will be added to the dam. After monitoring the first batch, an additional 15 tons will be added, plus another 15 tons.

Dr Moshe Harel, one of the scientists testing the biomass of the algae and hyacinth, said this situation was not unique to South Africa.

“A single species is dominating the whole lake… we have seen it in Florida, Israel and China… they all have the same situation,” Harel said.