Raising awareness and advocating for
septic pit safety
In March 2023, Amanpreet’s world was turned upside down when her 3-year old son, Nihal, tragically drowned after stepping onto an unsecured septic pit and falling in.
Amanpreet and her family were attending a housewarming when Nihal, who was playing outside, couldn’t be seen. Unable to locate him, a desperate search began among the 150 guests on the property. Only when they witnessed another child’s foot getting caught in the cover of the septic pit, did someone open the lid. Devastatingly, they spotted Nihal’s jumper in the water. Despite desperate attempts to revive him, Nihal could not be saved.
To honour her son and help prevent future tragedies, Amanpreet has bravely shared her story. You can watch this below – please be warned that it does talk about child death and can be triggering for some.
Nihal’s death was completely preventable – and is not an isolated incident. There have been two additional toddler deaths in sptic pits in Australia over the past 18 months and countless more tragedies that have taken place internationally.
Together with Nihal’s family, Kidsafe Victoria are encouraging all homeowners with septic systems to check the safety of their systems – including making sure that the lid is secure – to help prevent similar incidents.
In addition to this, Kidsafe Victoria have identified 2 key priorities that will help save future lives:
If you own a septic pit or are a company that services these, we are currently exploring child safety screen options. If you are interested in receiving updates on the progress and availability of these, please fill out the form in the link below.
