Tom Whitfield
Researcher & editor, on-site wastewater
Researches and edits independent guides on septic systems and AWTS across Australia, cross-checking AS/NZS 1547, council requirements, real prices and owner experiences.
The absorption trench: how it's built, how long it must be, and the reserve area nobody mentions→AWTS explained: what an aerated system costs to buy, run and keep legal (Australia 2026)→Composting toilet for a caravan in Australia: the two clauses that actually apply, where the waste can legally go, and the real capacity (2026)→Composting toilets in Australia: what's accredited, what it costs, what it's like (2026)→Septic tank regulations NSW 2026: section 68 approvals, the approval to operate, council fees, penalties in the Act, and the April 2025 Guidelines that replaced the Silver Book→Grease trap cleaning: cost, frequency and trade waste rules (Australia 2026)→How a septic tank actually works — and why the soil does most of the job (Australia)→Greywater diversion devices in Australia: what needs council approval, what it costs, and what nobody tells you→Selling a house with a septic tank in Australia: the approval that does not transfer, what the buyer's conveyancer asks in each state, and the council checklist that decides the price→Septic safe products: what the evidence says, and what the label doesn't (Australia)→Septic system inspection in Australia: what the council officer actually checks, what a pre-purchase inspection costs, and the audit that found a third of systems failing→Septic tank cost in Australia: what 27 owners actually paid, what 16 guides quote, and why the two don't match→Installing a septic system in Australia: the eight steps, the two inspections, the paperwork→Septic tank problems: a diagnostic order, cheapest fix first (Australia)→Septic tank pump out: cost, frequency and the rules (Australia 2026)→When to replace a septic tank — and what it costs (Australia 2026)→Septic tank rip-offs: what Australia's real complaint data shows, and how to check before you pay→How to unclog a toilet without a plunger — and when it isn't the toilet at all (Australia)→Septic tank smell: what the location of the odour tells you (Australia)→What size septic tank do I need? The formula, the minimums, and why bedrooms decide it→Worm farm wastewater systems in Australia: what's accredited, what they cost, and the servicing claim that isn't true→