Jūrmala has a special requirement for BIO plants: if a plant discharges treated water into the environment, a test by an accredited laboratory is needed once a year. Pumping of up to 4 m³ costs from €75, and outside Riga we add a travel charge.
A long city between the sea and the Lielupe
Jūrmala stretches in a long strip along the sea, and its districts, such as Majori, Bulduri, Kauguri and Ķemeri, are separate places when it comes to planning work. The drive to Ķemeri is a good deal longer than to Lielupe or Bulduri, so the travel part of the price varies by district. We calculate it from the address, at ~€1/km for the road beyond the Riga city boundary.
The city has historic wooden buildings, detached houses, apartment blocks, hotels and many properties used seasonally. There is a mains sewer in many places, but for summer houses and homes further from the centre, wastewater is collected by a septic tank, a holding tank or a BIO plant. The municipality encourages people to connect to the network if it runs in their street, and the rules allow it to order an owner to rebuild the system or connect.
In summer, traffic and parking near the beach and in the centre are under pressure, and on narrow streets with old villas a heavy vehicle has trouble turning round. For seasonal properties it is therefore better to plan pumping for May or September, when access is easier.
Sand and pines: what suits a plot in Jūrmala
Sandy soils predominate in Jūrmala. Sand lets water through well, so a septic tank with a drain field can work well here, as long as the groundwater is not close to the surface. Closer to the Lielupe river and in damper places, for example around Ķemeri, groundwater can be high, and then infiltration is not possible without a raised field.
Fast soakage into sand is also a risk. Poorly settled liquid quickly reaches the groundwater and, if there is a well nearby, the drinking water too. That is why septic tank liquid has to pass through a properly built infiltration system, not a bottomless pit.
Pine roots and valuable trees limit where a trench can be dug and a tank placed, and around historic buildings the surroundings must be protected too. This often decides whether a compact BIO plant or a septic tank with a field is the better choice for a new system.
Jūrmala's rules: register, annual report and laboratory test
In Jūrmala, Binding Regulations No. 37 are in force; they took effect on 06.09.2024. Systems are registered by SIA “Jūrmalas ūdens”, whose control service also checks that pumping is done often enough. The register of pumping contractors is kept by the municipal administration.
| What | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Registration | First registration declaration (Annex 3 to the Binding Regulations); the form “Iesniegums DKS apliecinājums (2026)” on jurmalasudens.lv under “Klientiem” (For customers), “Iesniegumu paraugi” (Sample applications). In person, by post, via latvija.gov.lv or with a secure e-signature. |
| Changes | A change of owner, rebuilding or connection to the network must be reported within a month |
| Septic tank | Pumped out at least once a year |
| Holding tank | Frequency based on water consumption and volume; without a meter, 1.5 to 3.0 m³ per person per month |
| Annual report | By 1 April: the volume removed in the previous year (Annex 1 to the Binding Regulations) |
| BIO plant discharging into the environment | By 1 April, also a maintenance declaration; once a year, a wastewater test by an accredited laboratory, sent to the control service |
The laboratory test is a Jūrmala peculiarity. If the result does not meet the limit values in Annex 4 of the regulations, the owner pays for the analysis, and the system may have to be rebuilt. That is why it makes sense to have BIO plant maintenance (from €160) done before the sample is taken: pump out the excess sludge, clean the filters, and check the compressor and aeration. The sample is taken and analysed by the laboratory; we do not do that.
For breaches, a private individual faces a warning or a fine of up to 70 penalty units; cases are heard by the municipal police and the Administrative Commission.
Sources: Jūrmala City Council Binding Regulations No. 37 (25.07.2024), points 4.1, 4.2.1, 6–9, 11.4, 13, 28–30, 33, likumi.lv; forms, jurmalasudens.lv; register of pumping contractors, jurmala.lv. Checked 30 October 2026.
Septic tank pumping in Jūrmala: summer houses and seasonal homes
In a summer house used only in the warm season, a septic tank fills more slowly, but the rules still require it to be pumped out at least once a year, and the volume removed must be reported by 1 April. The most convenient time is autumn, after the season: sludge does not sit in the tank over winter, and the document showing the volume removed will be to hand for the report.
For a holding tank, Jūrmala's rules allow up to 3.0 m³ per person per month to be used in the calculation if there is no meter. When more people stay in the house in summer, the tank fills faster, so it is better to arrange mid-season pumping in good time rather than wait until it is full.
Septic tank pumping in Jūrmala costs from €75 for up to 4 m³ and from €90 for up to 6 m³. Also useful for summer houses: septic tank for a summer house and dry toilet pumping.
Hotels, guest houses and cafés
If a hotel or café is connected to the network, the main job is cleaning the kitchen grease trap (from €90). In the season the amount of fat increases, so it is worth adjusting the cleaning frequency to the workload and scheduling the work outside lunch and dinner times.
Buildings whose drains sit lower than the street network need a sewage pump station, while guest houses with their own treatment plant need maintenance that gets it ready for the annual test. For regular work: septic tank pumping for businesses.
Towards Riga
To the east, beyond Babīte, are Mārupe and Riga with its western neighbourhoods, such as Imanta. All places: where we work.