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Mail & Guardian
roodeplaat damlatest news & developments
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
BILL HARDING

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

  • Sheree Bega
8 min read
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
ACID MINE DRAINAGE

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

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
Superspreader: Workers have been contracted to remove the hyacinth in the dam, but it’s too little, too late, as the coverage area can double every week. (Andy Mkosi)
BIO CONTROL

South African rowing in peril as Roodeplaat dam gets choked by plant colonies

Poorly treated wastewater in Tshwane is to blame for the water hyacinth and cyanobacteria colonies

  • Sheree Bega
10 min read