The Joburg spruits need your help
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Unrestrained sewage spills from the City of Johannesburg and rubbish are polluting the Johannesburg spruits which run from Gauteng to Mozambique, are used for water sports, religious ceremonies and replenishing wetlands, and are needed by people, birds and wildlife including otters.
Civil society organisations are calling on the authorities to act, and on the public to help clean up.
The Braamfontein Spruit: from Joburg to Xai-Xai
The Braamfontein Spruit is familiar to most of Johannesburg’s residents. This stream begins in the suburb of Berea, near Hillbrow and winds its way through the city, passing through the leafy suburbs of Parkhurst and Craighall Park.
It is joined by the Westdene Spruit and the Montgomery Spruit near Rustenburg Road in Victory Park, and makes its way through Delta Park. The Westdene Spruit passes through Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, a very popular site for walks, picnics and water sports, such as kayaking and open water swimming in the dam. The Montgomery Spruit is the confluence of two small streams and flows through Albertville, Albertskroon and Montgomery Park.
The Braamfontein Spruit is a popular destination for walkers and mountain bikers in Delta Park. It is also the site of religious ceremonies, and baptisms often take place on Sundays.
The stream merges with the Sandspruit at Leeukop prison, becoming the Jukskei River.
Just beyond the Lanseria Airport, the Jukskei merges with the Klein Jukskei and meets the Crocodile River, which has its source in the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort. From there, it flows into the Hartbeespoort Dam.
It forms one of the tributaries of the Limpopo River, which flows past Botswana and Zimbabwe, through the Kruger Park and onto Mozambique, where it empties into the ocean near Xai-Xai.
Who uses these spruits
The spruits are of great significance to Johannesburg’s residents and wildlife. There are many wetlands along the different tributaries which attract a host of birds and other small wildlife. Recently, an otter was spotted in the Emmarentia Dam. The green spaces along the Braamfontein Spruit and its tributaries are critically important to the environment of Johannesburg. They form the lungs of the city. The wetlands filter the water.
The problem
These three streams are woefully polluted by human activity.
Urban development and invasive species threaten the streams and some of their wetlands. For example, huge bugweed plants can be observed along the banks of the Montgomery Spruit. Some wetlands have been filled in over the years and are no longer functional.
One of the significant threats to the three streams is regular leakages of human sewage into the system due to the city’s strained and ageing sanitation system. Sewerage leaks can be observed throughout the courses of the streams. For example, there is a chronic sewerage leak at the Westdene Dam that affects the Westdene Spruit.
Litter fills the channels of the Spruit. The recent flood events in Johannesburg have exacerbated the sewerage leaks and litter.
Who is standing up for the rivers?
Jozi RiverWatch is a group of concerned citizens and the Victory View Sea Scouts, who use the Emmarentia Dam for their water-based activities. The group has been testing the waters of the Westdene, Montgomery and Braamfontein spruits and the Emmarentia Dam using water testing kits provided by the non-profit organisation WaterCAN.
Dr Teresa Dirsuweit from the UNISA Geography Department’s community outreach project also supports the organisation in training and capacity building. The results of this testing can be found on the WaterCAN map at https://watercan.org.za/map/.
WaterCAN is a citizen science project that tests and maps open water and tap water throughout South Africa. While citizen science cannot offer the same rigour as specialised research, it plays an important role in the ongoing monitoring of the environment. Citizen scientists often live in close proximity to rivers and can provide sustained monitoring and insight into the health of river systems. In this capacity, citizen science often provides an early warning, which scientists can further investigate. Local and national governments, academic scientists and non-profit organisations frequently regard citizen scientists as essential collaborators in environmental governance.
The group has been testing the Westdene Spruit and Emmarentia Dam for several months and has recently begun testing the Braamfontein Spruit and the Montgomery Spruit.
The test kits from WaterCAN include testing strips for various chemical parameters such as chlorine levels, bromine levels, alkalinity, pH levels, total hardness, phosphates, nitrites and nitrates. The test kits also include an aqua screen, which tests for faecal coliforms, and a petrifilm that, once cultured, provides information on whether there are coliforms and/or E. coli present in the waters.
It should be emphasised that the results of these tests are not of the same rigour as those done by scientists, but they offer a snapshot of the river’s health that can later be investigated more fully by water researchers. These tests show that all three spruits are within a normal range for the chemical parameters, with the exception of the Braamfontein Spruit, which is showing raised levels of nitrites.
Coliforms are present in the spruits and the Emmarentia Dam. This is common in open water systems. All of the spruits have repeatedly tested positive for E. coli, while the Emmarentia Dam has tested positive for low levels of E. Coli only once since October 2024.
In addition to testing the water, Jozi RiverWatch also documents the state of the spruits in terms of litter and invasive alien species. Acknowledging the limitations of citizen science, the testing and our observations clearly show that the Westdene, Montgomery, and Braamfontein spruits are in a serious condition.
Citizen intervention is necessary and urgent; these critical water systems belong to all of us, and we can make a difference collectively.
How can you help?
Arrange a cleanup day in your community or your organisation to help rid the Spruits of litter. Bring a bag and some gloves, and pick up litter when you picnic, walk, run or use the spruits for religious activities.
Remember to avoid drinking or washing in the spruit water if possible, and wash hands with soap and clean water if you come in contact with the spruit water.
Report infrastructure problems, such as sewerage leaks, to local government and follow up on the progress of their resolution.
Think about adopting part of a wetland and partnering with local government to restore and maintain it.
There is hope, and we can come together to build a better future for our beloved spruits that offer our Jozi community so much.
Spokesperson on this issue:
Dr Teresa Dirsuweit
Senior Lecturer, Unisa
084 807 3275
dirsutc@unisa.ac.za
Media queries:
Ibanathi Ngcobo
OUTA Brand Manager for WaterCAN, JoburgCAN, CAN & Link
060 302 4596
iba.ngcobo@outa.co.za
About WaterCAN
WaterCAN is a dedicated environmental organisation committed to preserving and protecting South Africa’s water resources. With a mission to promote responsible water management and raise awareness about water quality, the organisation empowers communities to become proactive stewards of their local water sources. If you would like to support our work, kindly Donate Here.
