The project to restore Boksburg Lake has restarted

Construction work on the Boksburg Lake rehabilitation project has resumed after a delay in payment to the service provider caused a halt last year. The wet summer weather compounded the situation as it raised water levels, making work in the water difficult Boksburg Advertiser.

The project, aimed at improving water quality, began in October 2021 with an estimated cost of R34m.

However, delays and cost overruns affected the project’s two phases, with phase two now expected to be completed by the end of June.

The third and final phase, which involves installing an aeration system, depends on budget availability, with no projected completion date.

Once phase two is completed, the park will reopen to the public. The project includes constructing a weir system, base gabions, dam aerators, artificial floating wetlands, a pedestrian bridge, and planting indigenous trees.

The city also promised to address upstream pollution from heavy industries, SMEs, and individuals.

Once a popular tourist spot, the lake had become an environmental and public health crisis in Boksburg, prompting government intervention.

Photo by Jonathan Petersson