With a vacuum tanker, we pump out septic tanks, holding tanks, sludge from biological wastewater treatment plants (BIO plants) and grease traps, and take the contents to a wastewater reception point. Pumping a septic tank of up to 4 m³ costs from €75. State the tank volume and the vehicle access in your request, and we contact you within 5 minutes.
How septic tank pumping works
A vacuum tanker is a truck with a sealed tank and a vacuum pump. The pump draws the air out of the truck's tank, and the contents flow in through a hose lowered through the hatch into the septic tank. The pump itself never touches the wastewater, so it can also pump out thick sediment and crust if they are first mixed with liquid.
A pumping contractor may deliver the pumped contents only to a wastewater reception point it has a contract with, and it must be registered with the municipality. This is set by Cabinet Regulation No. 384.
We choose the truck by volume and access. A smaller tanker (up to 4 m³) fits into the narrow streets of garden communities, while a larger one (up to 10 m³) empties a large holding tank or several tanks at one address in a single trip.
Septic tank pumping
In a septic tank, wastewater settles: heavy solids sink to the bottom, grease and light particles form a crust on the surface, and the clearer liquid flows on to the drain field. If the sediment is not pumped out in time, it starts to flow out with the liquid and clogs the drain field pipes. The septic tank then fills up faster than before and starts to smell.
When pumping, we remove the crust and sediment from all chambers and check that the inlet and outlet pipes are not clogged. If the tank is plastic and groundwater is high, groundwater can lift a fully emptied septic tank. In that case the tank is refilled with water straight after pumping, or only the sediment part is pumped out.
In Riga, septic tank sediment must be removed at least once a year; in practice the frequency depends on the number of people and the tank volume. A family with high water consumption and a small septic tank may need two pumpings a year. Calculation: how often to pump a septic tank.
Holding tank pumping
A holding tank has no outlet: everything that drains from the house stays in the tank, so it has to be emptied completely every time. Cabinet Regulation No. 384 requires a holding tank to be watertight and to be emptied regularly enough that wastewater does not overflow and no smell develops.
You can calculate the frequency yourself: annual water consumption, minus the water used for watering, divided by the tank volume. This is exactly how Riga sets the minimum removal frequency; if there is no water meter, 9.125 m³ per year is assumed for each declared resident. For example, for four declared residents that is 36.5 m³ per year, so a 6 m³ tank needs about six pumpings.
Watch out: if a holding tank fills up more slowly than your water consumption suggests, it is most likely not watertight, and wastewater is leaking into the ground. If it fills faster, groundwater or rainwater is getting into the tank. In both cases it is worth inspecting the tank after pumping. More: holding tank pumping.
Pumping contractor prices and what they depend on
A pumping contractor's price depends on the volume to be pumped out and the distance. In Riga you pay the price list price; outside Riga a travel charge of ~€1/km is added.
| Volume | Price | Typical case |
|---|---|---|
| up to 4 m³ | from €75 | Small septic tank, dry toilet |
| up to 6 m³ | from €90 | Private house septic tank or holding tank |
| up to 10 m³ | from €110 | Large holding tank or several tanks |
| Travel outside Riga | ~€1/km | Riga region municipalities |
- The distance from where the truck can park to the hatch: a longer distance needs more hoses.
- The depth of the tank and the condition of the sediment, because hardened sediment has to be diluted first.
- Access: a frozen or buried lid, narrow gates, a soft lawn that a heavy truck must not drive on.
- If there are several tanks at one address, the price is based on the total volume.
All prices and calculation examples: prices.
How to prepare for pumping
Cabinet Regulation No. 384 requires the owner to agree the removal time in advance and to ensure clear vehicle access. In practice this means:
- Find the hatch and clear it of soil, snow or flowerpots; in winter, check that the lid is not frozen shut.
- Estimate the distance from the street or driveway to the hatch and include it in your request.
- Open the gates and make sure the access road will take the weight of a truck.
- Tell us if the tank is plastic and groundwater is high. We then plan the pumping together with refilling the tank with water.
- If the hatch is freely accessible, we agree in advance on whether you need to be there.
Other pumping work
- Dry toilet pumping at summer houses and allotments.
- Portable toilet pumping on building sites and at events.
- Drainage well cleaning: sludge and sand from drainage wells.
- Basement pumping after floods or heavy rain.
- Pumping in garden communities: narrow streets, a smaller truck.
- Pumping services for businesses: a regular schedule and documents.
- Emergency pumping when the tank is already full.
- Grease trap cleaning and BIO plant sludge pumping.
Documents after pumping
After each pumping you receive a certificate with the address, the date, the volume removed and the service provider's details. Cabinet Regulation No. 384 requires you to keep this document for at least two years. In Riga, the owner also submits a declaration of the wastewater removed in the previous year to the Riga Housing and Environment Department by 1 May each year.
What to put in the contract: contract with a pumping contractor. How to register the system: registering a decentralised sewage system.
Sources: Cabinet Regulation No. 384 of 27.06.2017 (points 4.5, 5, 7, 9.1 and 9.3), likumi.lv/ta/id/291947; Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 66 of 19.12.2018 (points 5.6, 23 and 26), likumi.lv/ta/id/304471. Checked on 30 October 2026.