We clean grease separators, pump out holding tanks and drainage wells and build service pipes. In your request, state the site and how entry works, and we will get in touch with you.
Maskavas forštate, also known as the Latgale neighbourhood
Maskavas forštate is a historic suburb south-east of the centre. Officially, the area is now the Latgale neighbourhood (Latgales apkaime), but in everyday speech and in searches it is still called by its old name. The buildings come in many layers: pre-war wooden and masonry houses, courtyard buildings and commercial areas near the market and the railway. The main axis is Maskavas iela, and traffic on it is heavy.
The buildings mostly use the city sewer, so the people who write to us here are mainly businesses: food traders, canteens, warehouses and small workshops. Still, the old courtyards also have systems that need pumping out and maintaining.
Food retail and catering: grease separators
If food is prepared or processed on the premises, the wastewater contains fats, which must not be discharged into Riga's network. A grease separator holds them back, but only until it is full. In premises that process meat or fish, the layer builds up faster than in a café, so the cleaning frequency is set by how thick it grows between visits.
We pump out an underground separator in a yard or car park with a vacuum tanker, and a small indoor separator with a hose run through the service entrance. After cleaning, we issue a certificate with the date and volume, which you can show at an inspection or to the building manager. Price from €90, more details: grease trap cleaning in Maskavas forštate.
Warehouses and premises along the railway
On warehouse premises with large asphalt yards, rainwater is collected in gullies and drainage wells. Over time, sand, mud and oily sediment build up in them, and after rain the water starts standing in the yard. We pump out and clean such wells, more details: drainage well cleaning.
If a guardhouse, workshop or welfare container has no connection to the city network, the wastewater is collected in a sealed holding tank. It must be pumped out completely every time, and the frequency depends on the water consumption. For larger needs or several sites: pumping services for businesses.
What fills each tank and when to empty it
| Site | What fills it | Sign that it's time to pump out |
|---|---|---|
| Grease separator | Fats and food scraps from the kitchen or production area | Slow draining in the sinks, a smell, a thick layer of grease |
| Holding tank for a guardhouse | All domestic water; nothing drains away | Level close to the inlet pipe, or the alarm |
| Drainage or rainwater well | Sand and mud from the yard | Water standing in the yard after rain |
| Dry toilet in a courtyard | Faeces without water | Tank filled up to the mark |
Several sites on the same premises can be emptied in one trip if their contents may go into the same tanker. We deliver grease separator contents to a facility that accepts this kind of waste, so list it in your request separately from the domestic wastewater tanks.
Wooden houses and courtyards
In the old courtyards, the buildings' service pipes and manholes were often built at different times, and it is not always known where they run. If a courtyard has a holding tank or dry toilet, that is a decentralised system, which is registered with the municipal department. We pump out such tanks too: dry toilet pumping and holding tank pumping.
If a courtyard has a holding tank shared by several houses, every owner should know who registered it and who receives the pumping certificates. In a dispute, it is these documents that show what was done and when.
If there is a mains sewer in the street, connecting is cheaper in the long run. Riga municipality pays a one-off grant of €1,000–2,000 for connecting a residential house, depending on the length of the service pipe. The process step by step: connecting to the mains sewer.
Access around Maskavas iela
On Maskavas iela and near the market, traffic is dense, and a truck is not allowed to stop everywhere. It is easier for a business if we plan the work for a time when the loading area or yard is free. In your request, state which gate to enter by, whether a pass is needed and where the lid is.
If the lid is in a courtyard behind an archway, the truck stays on the street and we run the hose through the gate. Then it helps to know the distance in metres and whether the gate can be left open during the work.
If there are several tanks or wells on the same premises, list them all. Then we can choose a tanker that holds all the contents in one go.
Pumping contractors, documents and inspections
In Riga, a holding tank or septic tank may only be emptied by a company from the Housing and Environment Department's list of pumping contractors; on 30 October 2026 it listed 25 companies. The pumping certificate must be kept for at least two years, because it is your proof if the department inspects the system. For grease separators, Riga's water supply and sewerage regulations prohibit discharging fats into the network.
Sources (checked 30 October 2026): Cabinet Regulation No. 384, points 7 and 9.1 (likumi.lv/ta/id/291947); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 66, points 7–9 (likumi.lv/ta/id/304471) and the register of pumping contractors at mvd.riga.lv; Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 17, sub-point 63.11.7; RD-23-207-sn, point 11 (likumi.lv/ta/id/343520).
Similar work comes up in Avoti and the centre of Riga, and to the south-east in Krasta rajons and Ķengarags. Full list: where we work.