In Riga, the network is managed by Rīgas ūdens (Riga's water utility), which does not provide design or construction services; the owner orders these. We build the connection pipe from the house to the connection point and empty the old septic tank; in Riga, you can receive municipal co-financing for the connection.
When you can connect and when it is mandatory
You can connect if a mains network has been built in the street and there is a technical possibility, confirmed by the water utility. In Riga, the city network and its connection pipe end at the control chamber 1.5–2 m from the street's red line or at the plot boundary; from there to the house, the owner builds and maintains it.
In Riga, connecting is mandatory for new buildings if a connection pipe has already been built up to the plot boundary. Cabinet Regulation No. 384 required owners of non-compliant decentralised systems to connect by the end of 2023 if there was a mains sewer in the adjacent street.
Sources, checked on 30 October 2026: Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 17 (points 3.6, 5, 8–13); Cabinet Regulation No. 384 of 27.06.2017 (point 18); Cabinet Regulation No. 253 of 09.05.2017 “Construction Regulations for Certain Engineering Structures” (points 6.1, 6.2, 18); rigasudens.lv “Service connection”.
Steps in Riga: from application to contract
- Application to Rīgas ūdens Fill in the service application form; a specialist replies about the connection options and issues the technical conditions.
- Connection pipe documentation If the external connection pipe has already been built up to the plot boundary, a construction notification and a utility connection location plan (scale 1:250, 1:500 or 1:1000) approved by a certified construction specialist are enough. In other cases, you need an explanatory memorandum. The documents are submitted via BIS (the Construction Information System).
- Construction Trench, pipes with an even fall, manholes at bends and the connection to the control chamber. The work is done by a contractor of your choice.
- As-built survey and approval Before the trench is backfilled, a surveyor carries out an as-built survey; Rīgas ūdens issues a statement that the network is ready for operation.
- Contract You sign a standard contract with Rīgas ūdens for using the sewer (and the water supply).
- Old septic tank and register The old septic tank or holding tank is pumped out, cleaned and taken out of use. Changes are reported to the decentralised sewage system register within a month (in Riga, to the Riga Housing and Environment Department).
Rīgas ūdens says the process, including approvals, usually takes 4–6 months, so it recommends starting in winter so that construction can take place in the warm season.
Co-financing
Riga has two municipal programmes (checked on 30 October 2026). In both, the application is submitted to Rīgas ūdens, a municipal commission makes the decision, and the money is paid out after the connection has been built, as one-off support.
| Programme | For whom | Amount | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Riga neighbourhoods (Binding Regulations RD-23-207-sn) | Residential houses; connection built after 08.07.2023 | Connection pipe up to 5 m: €1,000; 5–20 m: €1,500; over 20 m: €2,000 | Application within 3 years of construction; first come, first served while the annual budget lasts |
| Cohesion Fund stage 5 and 6 networks: Berģi, Beberbeķi, Imanta, Teika, Ziepniekkalns (RD-25-22-sn) | Connections to the network built by these projects | Design costs in set amounts; construction work €1,800, or 100% for certain groups of people | Construction by 31.12.2026; application by 01.04.2027 |
Main conditions of the general programme:
- the property has a residential house that has been put into service, and the ownership is registered in the Land Register;
- at least one person has declared their residence at the property;
- there are no debts to Rīgas ūdens, and a service contract has been signed;
- if the property has several residential houses, all of them must be connected;
- if you cancel the service within 10 years of the payment, the municipality may ask for the money back.
In the stage 5 and 6 neighbourhoods, some groups can receive 100% of the construction costs. They are people with a Group I or II disability, needy or low-income households, politically repressed persons, members of large families, recipients of a survivor's pension and some pensioners who live alone.
In Bieriņi, Pleskodāle, Katlakalns, Bišumuiža and Bolderāja, the previous programme (Cohesion Fund stage 4) has closed; there, the general programme now applies to connections to stage 4 branches completed after 31.12.2025. No co-financing is provided for water supply connections. Municipalities in the Riga region have their own rules, or none at all. Check your municipality's binding regulations.
Sources, checked on 30 October 2026: Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. RD-23-207-sn (likumi.lv, version of 24.12.2025); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. RD-25-22-sn (in force from 24.12.2025); rigasudens.lv section “Municipal co-financing, including for Cohesion Fund projects”; Rīgas ūdens press releases on LV portāls, 26.02.2026 and 06.05.2026. Conditions and budgets may change, so check the current version before construction starts.
What we do
- We build the connection pipe from the house outlet to the control chamber or connection point: trench, pipes, fall, manholes at bends.
- If the house is lower than the network, we install a sewage pump station and a pressure pipe.
- We pump out, clean and backfill or remove the old septic tank.
- We leave the trench open until the as-built survey and then restore the surface.
- We coordinate the work with your certified construction specialist, who prepares the connection location plan or the explanatory memorandum.
How much does it cost?
Building the connection pipe costs from €25/m. The price depends on the length and depth, obstacles (paving, trees, a fence), the number of manholes and whether a pump station is needed. In Riga, co-financing can cover part of the costs, so keep the invoices and the as-built survey plan.