What caused a popular Johannesburg lake to turn red?

Residents of Johannesburg’s East Rand have expressed shock and confusion over the recent transformation of Boksburg Lake.

The lake’s water turned an eerie, rusty-red colour, prompting authorities to launch an urgent investigation into a suspected chemical spill from a nearby industrial area.

Security guards first noticed the colour change on 15 May.

This was soon followed by what some residents described as a “nauseating smell of rotting eggs” over the weekend of 16 and 17 May.

“We then discovered that the lake’s water had changed colour and that the smell was coming from the lake,” a concerned local told the Boksburg Advertiser.

“We all suspect the culprit is the nearby factories, and it’s not the first time that chemicals have been disposed of like this.”

Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni Metro spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, confirmed that a team of specialists from the City’s Water Quality and Environment department was dispatched earlier this week to investigate the alarming discolouration.

“The matter is still under investigation and results will be made public once we are done,” Dlamini said.

The true source of the contamination

Investigators have found evidence suggesting that the pollutant likely entered Boksburg Lake through the concrete stormwater channel running through the Cason and Andebolt industrial areas upstream.

They also discovered that discoloured water flowed from underground drainage pipes into this channel near the Campbell Road bridge in Cason before reaching the lake inlet.

Metro authorities expect lab tests to identify the contaminant and help trace it back to the company or entity responsible for the pollution.

Ward 32 Councillor Marius de Vos said he was “shocked” at the lake’s discolouration, and also suspects industrial waste.

This incident is the latest in a series of environmental issues at Boksburg Lake, including a visible oil slick.