We build and replace courtyard sewer manholes and service pipes, clean grease traps and pump out domestic wastewater tanks for businesses. Pumping up to 4 m³ costs from €75.
Pre-war courtyards: old outlets and manholes
Sarkandaugava is a historic northern neighbourhood where pre-war wooden and masonry houses have survived alongside apartment blocks. In a building like this, the courtyard sewer (the manholes and the service pipe to the street network) can be as old as the building itself.
Old ceramic or cast-iron pipes crack over time, tree roots grow into the joints, and the walls of brick manholes cave in. Signs that the courtyard network needs checking:
- water drains slowly from all the sinks in the building at once, not just in one flat;
- there is a smell by the manhole in the courtyard, or the ground above the pipe is sinking;
- the water in the manhole stands higher than the pipe even when no water is being used in the building.
The courtyard network up to the inspection chamber by the street is the owner's responsibility, and beyond it Rīgas ūdens (Riga's water utility) is responsible. We pump out and clean blocked manholes, install new sewer manholes and replace the service pipe: sewer installation from €25/m.
In the courtyards of wooden houses: digging near the foundations
Pre-war wooden houses can have shallow foundations, and the courtyard sewer pipe runs close to them. We dig the trench next to such a house in sections and don't leave it open longer than necessary, so that the soil under the foundations isn't washed out or dried out.
If large trees grow in the courtyard, the old pipe route and the roots have to be assessed before digging. Sometimes it is better to move the pipe route than to renew it in the same place among the roots. We restore the paving or surface after the work.
Hospital and institutional kitchens
Sarkandaugava has hospital complexes whose kitchens cook every day, all year round. A grease separator in a kitchen like that never gets a break, so we plan cleaning between mealtimes and coordinate with the facilities department. We agree entry to the premises, a spot for the truck and a route to the separator that doesn't get in the way of patient transport and ambulances.
Riga's rules prohibit discharging fats into the sewer, so an institution must be able to show that the separator is being cleaned. After the work, we issue a certificate with the date and volume. Grease trap cleaning costs from €90.
Port and industrial areas: what counts as domestic wastewater
For warehouses and factories where staff toilets and showers are connected to a holding tank, we pump out the domestic wastewater and take it to the city reception point. The owner must ensure that the contents handed over to the pumping contractor meet the requirements set for the mains sewer.
- We take away: wastewater from toilets, showers, kitchens and hand basins.
- We don't take away: paints, solvents, chemical solutions or washing water contaminated with petroleum products.
- Process water that is more polluted than domestic wastewater is treated on site before it is discharged.
If it isn't clear where the water in the tank comes from, describe it in your request. More details: pumping services for businesses.
If the building has no connection yet
If a pre-war house still has a holding tank or cesspit in the courtyard, in Riga that is a decentralised system. It must be registered with the Riga Housing and Environment Department and emptied according to water consumption, and the volume removed must be declared every year by 1 May.
A residential house can receive €1,000–2,000 in co-financing for a new connection to the city network, depending on the length of the service pipe. Steps: connecting to the mains sewer.
Sources: Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 17, point 3.6 and sub-point 63.11.7 (likumi.lv/ta/id/296134); Cabinet Regulation No. 384 of 27.06.2017, point 9.2 (likumi.lv/ta/id/291947); LBN 223-15, point 128 (likumi.lv/ta/id/274990); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 66, points 4, 5.6 and 23 (likumi.lv/ta/id/304471); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. RD-23-207-sn, point 11 (likumi.lv/ta/id/343520). Checked 30 October 2026.
Access: Tvaika iela, Ganību dambis and the tracks
The neighbourhood is crossed by Tvaika iela and Ganību dambis, a tram line and the railway. On a street with tram tracks, the truck must not block the tracks, so we choose where to park in advance.
If the courtyard is entered through an archway or narrow gates that a truck can't get through, the truck stays on the street and we run the hose through the archway to the manhole. In your request, state the width of the archway and the distance to the manhole. Sarkandaugava is in Riga, so we don't charge for travel kilometres.
Nearby neighbourhoods
In northern Riga, we also work in Brasa, Mežaparks, Jaunmīlgrāvis and Kundziņsala. All areas: where we work.