The findings of a two-part review into catchpit safety following the tragic death of a teenager in Favona in June this year have been released by Auckland Council and Auckland Transport.
Across the Auckland region, there are approximately 118,000 catchpits that are managed by the council and the council-controlled organisation, and serious incidents are extremely rare.
However, following Violet Tupou’s tragic death, the council commissioned the two-part review, which was conducted by a panel of engineers, stormwater specialists and independent experts with the appropriate engineering, safety and risk management skills.
Review outcomes
The first part of the review found that the council is managing safety around catchpits in a similar manner to other local authorities around New Zealand and internationally.
It found that existing safety controls, given the extremely rare occurrences of serious incidents, mean that catchpits, when used as designed and intended, are a safe asset for managing stormwater.
The second part of the review focused on whether there could be further improvements around catchpit safety. It found that the likelihood of a person becoming stuck in a catchpit, leading to death, is rare and that none of the hazards associated with catchpits are considered high or extreme risk.
Recommendations
There are other risks around catchpits not necessarily associated with drowning that were assessed as moderate.
A series of recommendations were made to address these moderate risks, including:
- improving public awareness around the safest process for retrieving items from catchpits
- consideration of whether there are some catchpits that could pose a higher risk than others due to location, and carrying out feasibility assessments of retrofitting these with locking mechanisms
- potentially updating the Codes of Practice around catchpit assessments, including inlet design and reviewing safety procedures for workers
- minimising the chance of blockages and flooding, including avoiding planting tree species with heavy leaf fall
- sharing the findings of this report to other local authorities in New Zealand.
Auckland Council and Auckland Transport have already started work to implement these recommendations.
In the meantime, council staff remain deeply saddened by Violet Tupou’s death. Violet’s family has requested respect for their privacy.
The incident is also currently under investigation by the Coroner.
“Our thoughts have very much been with Violet’s family, who now face their first Christmas without their precious daughter," says Barry Potter, the council’s Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Services.
"It has been a very difficult time for them and the wellbeing of the family has been a priority for us throughout this process. This review highlighted that incidents involving catchpits are very rare, and that they are generally a safe piece of infrastructure. However, we are working closely with Auckland Transport to take steps to further enhance the safety of our catchpits.
“We’d like to ask people to stay safe around drains by not removing drain grills or covers. We treat missing catchpit grates as an emergency and aim to respond to them within one hour.
“If you see any being removed or missing please notify us immediately on 09 301 0101. Auckland Council will retrieve items lost down a public drain or catchpit at no charge within four hours.”
