Posted on April 5, 2023
In an effort to reduce the risk of flooding for residents of the surrounding areas, planned dredging of roughly 80 000 square metres, starting from Main Road until the major wooden footbridge that runs between Hilton Road and Carlton Road in the Lower Silvermine Wetlands (LSW), commences this week.
Dredging, the mechanical removal of accumulated sediments or silt deposits, including invasive water plants, litter and solid waste, is done using excavators and the City has said that work on the LSW would start during the first week of April.
During the process, excavators remove accumulated sediment inside the river and place the dredged material towards the river banks. The material is then lifted by means of a long boom excavator to stockpile it 10 m 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.
Phase one of the project is expected to be completed by 30 June 2023.
‘The dredge will remove the excess silt and sludge from any sewage spills, wildfire erosion and stormwater runoff. This will then reset the water capacity of the ponds back to their original levels,’ the City said.
The City’s Catchment, Stormwater and River Management (CSRM) branch is investing approximately R7 million into the project as part of ongoing river maintenance and programmes to improve inland water quality.
‘The LSW has been used as a reference location as to what urban waterways should look like – an interface between the environment, people and wellbeing,’ said the City’s acting mayco member for water and sanitation, Siseko Mbandezi.
