Septic tanks and BIO plants in Baldone - private houses in the wooded hills and rural homesteads

Hills, forest and scattered homesteads: what this changes for sewerage

Baldone is a small town of detached houses surrounded by wooded, hilly country, and rural properties begin on its outskirts. The distances between houses are greater than in the densely built Riga region, and the road surface changes from asphalt in the centre to gravel and forest roads on the outskirts.

On a hilly plot, the height difference is what decides things. If the septic tank or BIO plant is lower than the house, the wastewater flows to it by itself. If the drain field or outlet can only be placed higher than the tank, you need a pump chamber. On a slope, the field is not laid out above a well or a neighbour's yard, because water in the ground flows downhill.

In damper hollows, which Baldone's history of sulphur springs also hints at, groundwater can stand close to the surface. A pit that fills with water in spring calls for a different solution than a dry sandy hillock, so before making an offer we find out the soil, the groundwater level and access for machinery at the specific spot.

What kind of system suits a house around Baldone

• A septic tank with a drain field: in a dry, sandy spot on a hill. It needs no electricity, so it also suits a house that is not lived in all year.
• A biological treatment plant: if the soil is clayey or the groundwater is high and the treated water can be discharged into a ditch. It needs an uninterrupted power supply and annual maintenance.
• A holding tank: for occasional use or where infiltration is not possible. It is pumped often, so the tanker must be able to reach it.

For a house used only at weekends or in summer, a BIO plant is not the obvious choice. The bacteria need a regular flow of wastewater, and after a long break the plant recovers slowly. How to look after it: bacteria for BIO plants; for seasonal houses: septic tank for a summer house.

Older homesteads often have concrete-ring septic tanks or pits with no bottom. These do not comply with Cabinet Regulation No. 384, which requires septic tank liquid to reach the environment only through an infiltration system and a holding tank to be watertight. What to do: replacing an old septic tank or converting a septic tank into a BIO plant.

A septic tank with the tank and installation starts from €2,200, a BIO plant for 4–6 people from €1,750, and the work of installing it from €800. On a hilly site, the total goes up with a pump, a longer pipeline and how close an excavator can get.

Septic tank pumping in Baldone: the road to your homestead

A vacuum tanker weighs several tonnes, so before the trip we find out which road can be used to get there. Gravel roads often have weight restrictions during the spring thaw, and on a soft lawn or a forest track a heavy tanker can get stuck. If it is a long way to the lid, we bring longer hoses, so give the approximate distance in your request.

From Riga we drive to Baldone via Ķekava. Travel is charged at ~€1/km for the road outside Riga, so for a homestead deeper in the forest it will be more than for a house in town. To make the trip worthwhile, both the septic tank and the excess sludge from a BIO plant can be emptied in one go, if they are on the same property. Septic tank pumping in Baldone up to 6 m³ costs from €90.

For a house that is not lived in during winter, it is easier to plan pumping in autumn, while the roads are dry and the lid has not frozen. If the lid or pipe has frozen anyway: frozen septic tank.

Ķekava Municipality rules that apply to Baldone

Since the 2021 reform, Baldone has been part of Ķekava Municipality. Since November 2022, a single set of decentralised sewage rules, Binding Regulations No. 20/2022, has applied across the whole municipality, and the former Baldone Municipality rules are no longer in force. Water services in Baldone are now provided by the company Ķekavas nami, which has absorbed the former BŪKS.

• Register: the system is registered by Ķekava Municipality. The declaration can also be submitted at the customer service centre in Baldone, Pārupes iela 3, or sent electronically with an e-signature.
• Septic tank: sludge is removed at least once a year.
• BIO plant: sludge is removed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and each year by 1 June a company's written confirmation of the maintenance and condition of the plant is submitted to the municipality.
• Pumping contractor: registered with the municipality only; the municipal list, updated on 17.04.2024, has 13 companies.
• Changes: a new plant or a change of owner is reported within a month.

After BIO plant maintenance we issue a document with our findings and recommendations, which can be used for the confirmation. If the plant is sounding an alarm or has stopped: BIO plant alarm.

If there is a mains sewer in your street in the centre of Baldone, the municipality can co-finance a connection (up to €2,500 for a private house), but only during an announced application period. A full description of the municipal rules and co-financing is on the page about Ķekava.

Neighbouring places

To the north-west are Ķekava and Baloži, to the south-west Iecava, and to the east beyond the forests Ķegums. All places: where we work.