Pretoria - A new design and the installation of a catchment system would revive, heal and restore the Hennops River in Centurion.
This is high on the wish list of Hennops Revival, which yesterday said the new catchment system would cost an estimated R150 000.
It would be used to trap pieces of both large and small litter that fall into the river, said founder Tarryn Johnston.
She said there was no functional catchment system in place, and the project was in need of sponsorship to modify and install the new design.
"The most expensive part of installing a catchment system is the maintenance and ongoing cleaning by the Hennops Revival crew.
"The initial catchment system was funded by BrandIQ. Hennops Revival is not funded; we receive donations from the community and private sector, and are able to provide tax exemption certificates for contributions,“ Johnston said.
"The initial catchment system was built in September 2021, but it was flattened by the enormous amount of trees and floods this year."
In addition, Johnston said heavy rains were exceptional this year, and the destruction of the flooding was immense.
"Unfortunately we lost some of the trees that we had attached the cables to, and in the first phase the cables were snapped from the tension and weight of all the other floating fallen trees which the phase was designed to catch.
"So, having looked at lessons learned, we need to modify the system to run at a 45° angle to lessen the impact on the system.
"Additionally, we need to plant poles/i-beams and attach the cables to the poles.
"Unfortunately the barrels were also quite damaged and twisted, pierced and filled with water – so the entire system needs to be repaired."
She said the revival needs to repair and modify the system during the winter period, as there were lower water levels.
The country had a serious water crisis, and rivers should be sources of drinking water, Johnston added.
"We have abused rivers to such a degree that they have become cesspools of sewage, effluent and waste, resulting in death, rot and decay.
"We have to take action now, because we do not have time to wait. Nobody is coming to deliver a fresh batch of water to the planet; this is what we have, it is all we have ever had, and it is all we are ever going to have,“ she said.
To get the community to help in cleaning up rivers, Johnston said they would be hosting volunteer clean-up events for Mandela Day in Centurion on July 16, and in Tembisa two days later.
"We provide a perfect platform for people and businesses to get involved and do their part, whether it is by physical volunteering on the day, or making donations or sponsorship," Johnston said.
She said the catchment system pilot project, which in the seven months that the trap was fully functional, had removed over 13 000 bags of waste from the area.
Pretoria News