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Water hyacinths at the Hartebeersport dam. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

A 50-year seed bank and tiny hoppers: Hartbeespoort’s water hyacinth battle

Tiny biocontrol insects, released by the Centre for Biological Control, are preventing flowering and suppressing growth — a long-term solution to South Africa’s most problematic…

Without biocontrol, Hartbeespoort Dam could be 70% covered in superweed

Tiny bugs winning the fight against invasive water hyacinth in Hartbeespoort Dam

Without biocontrol, Hartbeespoort Dam could be 70% covered in superweed

Water hyacinth, native to South America, is described as the world’s worst aquatic weed. It thrives in nutrient-enriched waters like Hartbeespoort Dam, forming dense impenetrable mats that affect boating, fishing and water sport activities and harms aquatic biodiversity. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Powerful insect army reduces water hyacinth on Hartbeespoort Dam to 2.5%

The tiny planthoppers are biological control agents and natural enemies of the world’s worst aquatic weed

Highly polluted reservoirs in Gauteng and the North West, including Hartbeespoort Dam, should be fenced off because of the health risks they pose to people and animals from blooms of toxic cyanobacteria. Photo: Getty Images

Seal off polluted dams to protect public health, says water expert

About 80% of the country’s dams are so enriched with nutrients they could produce toxic algal blooms

Water hyacinth, native to South America, is described as the world’s worst aquatic weed. It thrives in nutrient-enriched waters like Hartbeespoort Dam, forming dense impenetrable mats that affect boating, fishing and water sport activities and harms aquatic biodiversity. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Tiny bugs reduce water hyacinth on Hartbeespoort Dam to 5%

Biological control is effective but the real solution would be to fix wastewater treatment plants in Joburg and Pretoria and stop sewage spills

Most foul: The Blougatspruit once teemed with life. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Filthy rivers run through Cradle of Humankind

Landowners and businesses in the Unesco World Heritage Site are up in arms over municipal sewage pollution

Highly polluted reservoirs in Gauteng and the North West, including Hartbeespoort Dam, should be fenced off because of the health risks they pose to people and animals from blooms of toxic cyanobacteria. Photo: Getty Images

Faecal pollution severely contaminates SA’s rivers, dams – report

More than half of the sites showed a high health risk if water was used for irrigation

Water hyacinth, native to South America, is described as the world’s worst aquatic weed. It thrives in nutrient-enriched waters like Hartbeespoort Dam, forming dense impenetrable mats that affect boating, fishing and water sport activities, harms aquatic biodiversity. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Invasive water hyacinth explodes on Hartbeespoort Dam

Heavy rain and pollution has led to the aquatic weed increasing its coverage to about 50% of the dam

Water hyacinth being controlled by bio controll measures at hartebeesport. (Delwyn Verasamy)

Insect army winning fight against invasive water hyacinth

The coverage of the invasive superweed has been reduced to 12.5% from 40% in February

Dr Rosali Smith is confident the planthopper insects from South America will do their job in destroying the invasive weed. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Insect army tackles Hartbeespoort Dam’s water hyacinths

About 300 000 planthoppers have been released on Hartbeespoort Dam to control the green horror

A good little SUV: The Audi Q2 is nimble and easy to drive. And it’s more affordable than some of its siblings

Audi Q2: Trials of the ‘big’, unashamed city slicker

The Audi Q2 is a lot more toned down than its older siblings, but that might be all you need

Plastic and other waste pollution along the Hennops River. The sewage pollution of the river affects the water quality of the Rietvlei and Hartbeespoort dams. File photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G

There is shit in the Hennops River: ‘No way you can call this water’

E.Coli counts in tributaries feeding the Hennops River run into tens of millions, far above the permitted limit

Searching for Chippo: How experts have been tracking the elusive hippo

There have long been sightings of hippos in the city’s leafy northern suburbs, says a specialist team

16 November 2020. Residents of Steenbokpan Village have to fill reserve containers with water as municipal tap water supply has become limited and erratic. The proposed water pipeline to the area will not improve their situation as it will be supplying the mines and power stations almost exclusively. Photograph: James Puttick.

‘We struggle for water, but power stations and coal mines don’t’

A proposed pipeline will bring water polluted with Gauteng’s sewage to the Waterberg in Limpopo to boost the coal industry during the climate crisis