Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Many people with a septic tank on their property won’t have thought about whether or not it poses a drowning risk.
However, the tragic death of a three-year-old in Australia – and a similar case in Whanganui just months earlier – have highlighted the potential dangers of onsite wastewater systems.
Preventing tragedies
A Coroner’s report into the drowning of Nihal Hundal in Victoria in 2023 describes how the lid on a septic tank easily dislodged, and he fell in while playing.
The report notes that while these types of drownings are rare, Nihal was one of three children who died in septic tanks in Australia over 18 months.
Local service professionals and our resource management officers sometimes come across lids that are insecure or broken – and in need of replacement.
Resource management technical lead Jessica Newlands said broken lids are commonly seen with the older style concrete tanks. Often, the homeowner is not even aware of the location of the septic tank.
“We want to see tanks complying with regional rules and resource consents but we also want to prevent such tragedies here in our region.”
Checking your septic tank system
Water New Zealand, which represents councils and other groups from the water management industry, has submitted Standards Australia’s proposal to mandate the installation of fixed security grates in septic tank openings in Australia and New Zealand. You can read the submission here.
The organisation’s technical lead, Lesley Smith, encourages everyone with an onsite wastewater system on their property to check access-point lids to ensure they’re secure.
Another opportunity to check for any safety issues is when maintenance and sludge removal is being carried out. This should be only done by a suitably qualified professional.
As Lesley points out, awareness is key.
“If all septic tank owners could take just a minute to check their lids are fixed securely, that could go a long way to preventing another tragedy.”
Read more in this brochure about the broader steps homeowners should be taking to ensure their onsite wastewater system is properly managed – helping protect the environment and their family’s health.
Current rules
As stated by Water New Zealand, onsite wastewater management services are required to meet best practice engineering standards and council rules to mitigate the risks to humans, stock and the environment.
Regional councils administer rules for the discharge from wastewater systems under the Resource Management Act, while district and city councils administer rules under the Building Act.
In Canterbury, a resource consent is required for onsite wastewater systems, unless the property owner can comply with the Permitted Activity rules in the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan. These rules apply to any existing, modified, upgraded or new system.
Our website has more information on the
