From 1906, Johannesburg’s southern suburbs were connected to a waterborne sewage system which was gravity fed through a network of huge underground sewers to a Council-owned farm at Klipspruit, in an area of what was to become Soweto. The northern suburbs however, up until the mid 1930s, relied on French drains, open tanks and external lavatories with a bucket system.  (Many of the sanitation lanes which provided access for the horse- drawn sanitation carts still survive in suburbs like Parkview). When, in 1931, the Johannesburg City Council decided to implement a sewage system for these northern suburbs (north of Johannesburg but south of Sandton), they chose four sites in valleys that would allow gravity sewers to run from suburbs in the catchment areas of the rivers of the Witwatersrand.  Neutral names (ie non suburb-specific) with classical connotations were chosen: 

• Antea Works on the west dealt with sewage and industrial waste from Industria and drained via the Klein Jukskei into what is now New Canada and Fleurhof Dams.  
• Bruma, in the east of Joburg, is now a shopping centre and lake (which it seems is now so polluted that is near reverting to its origins as a sewage plant) Bruma took domestic waste from the eastern suburbs of Observatory, Sandringham etc. into the main Jukskei River valley.
• Cydna, now the Melrose Bird Sanctuary, on the north-east of Johannesburg, served Houghton, Oaklands, Orchards, Norwood, Melrose and Illovo, draining into the Orange Grove Spruit which later joins the Sandspruit (which rises at a point near Louis Botha Ave) and eventually, the Braamfontein Spruit.  
• Delta constructed to serve the suburbs of Parktown, Emmarentia, Auckland Park, Greenside, Parkhurst, Parkwood etc., was located on the small Delta Stream flowing into the Braamfontein Spruit. (This info from Jane Carruthers’ research on Delta Sewage works).    

Delta was unique in two respects: the main works were housed in a single building (which is also a good example of Johannesburg Art Deco and now houses the Environmental Training Centre) and the method of sewage disposal was experimental at that time.

It was not too long before it became clear that these sewage plants would not cope with the needs of Johannesburg’s rapidly increasing population. By the end of the Second World War expansion of Bruma, Cydna and Delta was not viable as they were surrounded by housing.  So  the City Engineering department needed to look at establishing a larger plant to the north of what is now Sandton.  However Northern Disposal works (at Diepsloot), with its huge pipeline which required both bridges and tunnelling to keep its gravity-feeding at the optimum, took a long time to build.  (The luxury gated community gets its derogatory nickname of D[r]ainfern from its proximity to and outlook on this massive pipe-line.) It was only in 1959 that the Northern Disposal Works began to accept any volume of sewage from the other treatment plants. Delta finally closed at the end of June 1963.  …

DELTA NOW

…… And now Delta Park home is used extensively by dog-walkers, horse-riders, (yes … horse riding in the middle of a Joburg suburban neighbourhood), joggers, mountain bikers, bird-watchers (there are well over 180 species on the Delta birding list), families with young children – there is a fabulous playground area, worshippers at the many small independent church meetings held on a Sunday (we can hear the drums and singing from Liz at Lancaster), and conference delegates, trainees and attendees at educational programmes run from  the Environmental Centre. And yes, sadly there are many homeless people who live along the banks of the river. 

For more information on Delta Park see http://www.deltaenviro.org.za/deltaacc.htm

Such seamless but thoughtful touches in all areas:

• a splendid, attractive notice board in main core public area
• guest internet station provided
• high attention to energy-saving measures including solar geysers, CFLs, solar garden lighting, water-saving shower roses, etc.
• generous provision of heating, a real plus for travellers including under-carpet heating
• complimentary bottled water & quality home-baked crunchies, Liz’s own muesli & a delightful easy-pour honey tube on breakfast tables
• breakfast room with LED DSTV
• easy instructions for complimentary internet access in rooms
• various menus, maps, evacuation & fire procedures in all rooms, quality paper holder, recycling info on waste bins
• generous DSTV in rooms
• fridges stocked incl fresh milk, and so on.

Really excellent & indicative of high levels of general efficiency.  The exceptional provision of guest comforts for both leisure & corporate guests and the high standards of personal yet professional service and hospitality continue to set this establishment at an exceptionally confident Superior level.

• Best steakhouse countrywide: The Local Grill Parktown North
• The City Press ViP Sunday Breakfast Award: The Salvation Cafe 44 Stanley Ave
• no 7 in Best Restaurants nationwide D-W 11-13, Dunkeld Square (All other 9 restaurants in the top 10 were in the Cape.)

D-W 11-13 is 5 blocks from Liz at Lancaster, Parktown North is adjacent to Craighall Park. 44 Stanley is 10 minutes from Liz at Lancaster.

For the full list see http://www.eatout.co.za/News/Category/General/1620/The-winners-of-the-2011-Eat-Out-DStv-Food-Network-Restaurant-Awards

011 447 2440

Four blocks from Liz at Lancaster is the well-known Video Spot in the The Colony, 345 Jan Smuts Avenue  Tel: 011 447 1401 .   Their selection of movies is amazing – from the latest releases to golden oldies, British crime and detective series and arthouse movies.  Customers come from all over Joburg to the Video Spot as the selection is so wide and varied. For a write up on The Video Spot see   ttp://www.jhblive.com/reviews/shops/the_ultimate_video_spot/86466