In this northern waterside neighbourhood between Vecāķi, Mangaļsala and Vecmīlgrāvis, detached houses and gardens border the Vecdaugava nature reserve and wetlands. That is why it is especially important here that a holding tank is sealed, that a septic tank's infiltration sits above the groundwater and that a BIO plant is maintained regularly. We pump out, maintain and install these systems; pumping in Riga costs from €75.
Close to water: a holding tank must be sealed
Cabinet Regulation No. 384 requires a holding tank to be sealed and emptied often enough that wastewater does not overflow. In wet ground, a tank that is not sealed becomes a problem in both directions: wastewater from it gets into the groundwater, and groundwater flows into the tank and fills it.
What is worth noticing yourself:
- For years, the tank has been filling more slowly than the house uses water: the contents are most likely leaking into the ground.
- After heavy rain or in spring, the tank fills up in a few days: groundwater or rainwater is getting in.
- Shortly after pumping, clear water appears at the bottom of the tank: it is coming from outside.
During pumping, we inspect the tank walls, neck and joints. If the fault is in the tank, the solution is septic tank repair or a new holding tank installation.
The nature reserve: what to find out before digging
The Vecdaugava nature reserve, the wetlands and the nearby water restrict certain activities. If your plot is in the reserve or next to it, check with the Riga building board and in the spatial plan what is permitted in that place and what approvals are needed before building a new tank or drain field.
Pumping and maintaining an existing system is not construction work. Even so, the tanker drives only on roads and driveways, not over wet grassland or the shore strip.
Which system suits a wet plot
- Deep groundwater and sandy soil: an ordinary septic tank with a drain field is suitable.
- Groundwater close to the surface: a BIO plant, which treats the water more thoroughly, with an outlet to a ditch or a compact infiltration system.
- Low water consumption, or a place where infiltration is not allowed: a sealed holding tank.
- An in-between option: a septic tank with a raised infiltration mound, if there is enough room for it.
In wet ground, a plastic tank is secured against floating up with a concrete slab or anchoring, and it is never left completely empty after pumping. More: septic tank for high groundwater and biological treatment plants.
Gardens and small houses
Vecdaugava also has gardens with small houses, where the sewage arrangement is simple: a dry toilet or a small holding tank. Riga's rules require wastewater from decentralised systems to end up at treatment plants or reception points, so the contents of these tanks must also be taken away by a vacuum tanker. Close to water, this is especially important. More: dry toilet pumping.
Before the spring floods and heavy rains
- Check that the lid is intact and fits tightly: meltwater gets into the tank through gaps.
- Direct rainwater from the roof away from the tank and the drain field, not onto them.
- If the tank was not pumped out in autumn, do it before the snow melts, while it still has free capacity.
- For a BIO plant, check that the compressor box is not flooded and that its ventilation is clear.
Riga's requirements for BIO plants and holding tanks
- Analyses of a BIO plant's treated water in an accredited laboratory every two years, with the results submitted to the Riga Housing and Environment Department.
- Maintenance at the intervals set by the manufacturer or installer; the department may request a maintenance certificate.
- A minimum removal frequency for a holding tank, based on water consumption and volume.
- For a septic tank, sludge removal at least once a year and a declaration by 1 May.
We carry out BIO plant maintenance in Vecdaugava: pumping out surplus sludge, flushing, and checking the compressor and air supply. After the job, we issue a document you can show to the department.
Sources: Cabinet Regulation No. 384 of 27.06.2017, points 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5 (likumi.lv/ta/id/291947); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 66, points 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 22, 23 and 26 (likumi.lv/ta/id/304471). Checked 30 October 2026.
Access via Vecāķu prospekts
In Vecdaugava, the routes run in a line: along Vecāķu prospekts and local roads. In wet weather, a lawn or a gravel driveway may not take a lorry, so the tanker usually stays on a hard surface and we run a hose to the lid. In your request, give the distance from the road to the lid and say whether there is a ditch or a fence on the way.
Vecdaugava is within Riga, so we do not add travel kilometres.
Nearby neighbourhoods
Next door, we work in Vecāķi, Mangaļsala, Trīsciems and Vecmīlgrāvis. All places: where we work.