The application for a borehole at Keurboom Park is undergoing a feasibility study, the City of Cape Town has confirmed.
Patricia van der Ross, Mayco member for community service and health, last week told People’s Post that the Recreation and Parks Department received a formal request to drill a borehole and reshape and resurface a pond at the popular public park located in Rondebosch in April.
“The application is currently in the process of a feasibility study. The department is awaiting this report to move forward with the application process,” Van der Ross said.
Earlier this month, People’s Post reported that the members of Keurboom Park Association (KPA) were holding their collective thumbs for the City to approve their application to turn the seasonal frog and dog pond located on the north eastern corner of Keurboom Park into a perennial one.
For the seasonal frog and dog pond to become a perennial (meaning all-year-round) one, its bottom will need to be waterproofed and a natural filter will need to be added in the upper part of the pond. It will also need a top-up water source. Here is where the borehole comes in.
At KPA’s annual general meeting (AGM) held at the Western Province Cricket Club (WPCC) in Rondebosch on Tuesday 30 May, chair Phil Flockton indicated that, initially, they had quite a job in persuading the City of the benefits of such a pond.
Van der Ross said the recreation and parks department had in principle supported the request.
“But there are pending matters that need to be resolved,” she said.
Asked what the possible issues with having a permanent pond in Keurboom Park might be, Van der Ross said the City was mindful of an open water source which may pose a potential safety/health risk to users as well as other environmental factors.
“The pond has issues with drainage during the summer months and the potential for stagnant (non-moving) water being a health risk.”
Van der Ross added that, following the completion of a feasibility study, conducted through a tender, a final decision would be made. “The recreation and parks department is guided by the feasibility study and the catchment stormwater and river management department (CSRM) to provide formal approval.”
