Everyone who goes near the Jukskei river is aware of the pollution and terrible smell that regularly floods Buccleuch. So we're very pleased to report that a group of concerned residents, coordinated by Vivienne Busse, has established a working team to try and resolve the issue. A WhatsApp group has also been created to coordinate the effort and keep interested residents in the loop.

On Friday the Jukskei group will be walking up the river in an attempt to ascertain where the smell is coming from.  Our local councillor is also helping to try get representation from the Environmental Health Dept., and the group is being assisted by Irwin Juckes from Riverwatch (see http://www.edenvaleriverwatch.co.za/jukskei-river).

Irwin Juckes recently provided this report on the river:

I ran the Pollution Tracker and River Health Tracker to produce a profile of the Jukskei in Aug and Sept with almost identical results. It is a few weeks since I was there  but this is what I found at the time.

The profile shows the river has largely recovered from the sewage from central Joburg by the time it gets to Civin Rd St Andrews. There is then a new discharge of sewage between Lyndhurst and Marlborough bridge as the river passes Alexandra.

Sewage takes a few Km to process naturally in the river. First the suspended matter flocculates due to the action of aerobic bacteria, then the flocculate settles as sludge. In the section up to St Andrews there are many small weirs that slow the flow and settle the sludge (even with Bruma gone) and the water is almost clear before this point. But at Bridge Rd in Buccleuch there was flocculate carried in the water showing the sewage from Alexandra was still being processed by the bacteria.

At Kyalami the water is clear and the river in good health by urban standards.

The problem to be addressed is in or near Alexandra. My experience elsewhere is that I have to pinpoint the source in order to get the authorities to fix it, general complaints don’t work.

This worthy effort is not a BRACe initiative and we will provide the groups' details once available so they can be properly acknowledged for the work they're doing for our community.