We pump out septic tanks and holding tanks, install and maintain biological wastewater treatment plants (BIO plants) and build service pipes to the street network. Mārupe Municipality's rules are stricter than Riga's (septic tank sludge usually has to be removed twice a year), but the municipality pays co-financing for connecting.
Mārupe: from dense estates to drainage ditches
Mārupe is a suburb of Riga where a single municipality includes dense estates of detached and terraced houses, new apartment projects, offices, warehouses and logistics sites by the airport. Further from the Riga boundary, the buildings give way to villages and farmland, so two addresses within the same municipality can need completely different sewage solutions.
For wastewater, the most important local factor is the water in the ground. There are many drainage ditches and low-lying spots around Mārupe. That doesn't mean the groundwater is high on every plot, but we check it first, before recommending a septic tank or a BIO plant. High spring groundwater can lift an empty plastic tank and flood a drain field, so in such places the tank is anchored or a different type of treatment is chosen.
In the new residential areas, the streets are often narrow, and their surface varies from one block to the next. In your request, write whether a truck can drive up to the lid: this determines which tanker we choose.
What Mārupe's rules require for a septic tank, holding tank and BIO plant
In Mārupe Municipality, decentralised sewage systems are governed by Binding Regulations No. 13/2023. Since 20 October 2026, both the system register and the register of pumping contractors have been kept by the municipality's Development and Construction Department; before that, this was done by the Municipal Property Administration. The water utility, Mārupes komunālie pakalpojumi, does not keep the register.
| System | Minimum emptying frequency | What else to know |
|---|---|---|
| Septic tank | Twice a year; once a year if the household uses less than 40 m³ of water a year | Water from a septic tank may only reach the environment through an infiltration system |
| Holding tank | Annual water consumption divided by the tank volume; without a meter, 3 m³ a month per declared resident | Separately metered watering water is deducted from the calculation |
| BIO plant | According to the manufacturer's documentation | If there is no documentation, a written statement from a qualified company is needed |
When registering the system, you attach technical documents to the application: for a BIO plant, its technical passport and installation and user instructions; for a septic tank, a diagram of the infiltration system; for a holding tank, a construction diagram. The certificate is issued within 30 days. For a new build, the system is registered before the building is put into service, and a local system shared by several properties within 30 days after it is put into service.
The regulations prohibit discharging untreated wastewater into the ground, ditches, drainage or the stormwater sewer. If an old septic tank has an overflow pipe into a ditch, it must be rebuilt, for example by installing a drain field or by carrying out a septic tank conversion into a BIO plant. For violations, an individual can be given a warning or a fine of up to 100 fine units.
Only a pumping contractor included in the municipal register may pump out. In Mārupe, the requirements for service providers are extensive: a licence, civil liability insurance, a contract with treatment plants and a vehicle with GPS. The register is published at marupe.lv (updated on 14 October 2026). Before ordering, check that your chosen contractor is on it.
Sources: Mārupe Municipality Binding Regulations No. 13/2023 (points 4, 9–13, 15, 20, 22–24, 31, 35–37, 41), as amended on 20.10.2026 (likumi.lv); amendments No. 40/2026 (likumi.lv); Mārupe register of pumping contractors. Checked on 30 October 2026.
A holding tank while you wait for a connection: do the maths first
On many new streets, a sewer main is planned but not yet built, and owners choose a holding tank for the time being. It's worth doing the maths first. If there is no water meter, Mārupe's regulations assume 3 m³ a month per declared resident: for a family of four that is 144 m³ a year, and a 10 m³ tank would have to be emptied about 14 times a year.
At our price for up to 10 m³ (from €110 per visit), that comes to around €1,540 a year, not counting travel. With a water meter, the calculation uses actual consumption, and with a separate watering meter, the water used on the garden in summer can be left out. If the connection is only expected in several years' time, compare this with a biological treatment plant: a plant for 4–6 people costs from €1,750, and only the excess sludge needs pumping out during maintenance. More: holding tank or septic tank.
Connecting to the mains sewer and Mārupe's co-financing
Once a main has been built in the street, connecting frees you from the pumping schedule: the decentralised system's certificate expires after connection. If the existing system does not meet the requirements and the network is in the adjacent street, Mārupe's regulations require you to put the system in order or connect.
Binding Regulations No. 16/2025 provide €50/m for a sewer connection, but no more than €2,500. For priority groups (needy and low-income households, people with disabilities, pensioners and others listed in the regulations), the support is €70/m, up to €3,000. Support for the water supply pipe is separate: €30/m up to €1,500 or €50/m up to €2,000. Technical documentation costs of up to €300 fall within these caps.
- there is a mains sewer in the street, and the house has been put into service;
- the owner has been declared as resident at the property for at least a year;
- the connection was built after 1 July 2022;
- the owner has no debts.
Applications are processed in the order they are received; the 2026 budget allocates €50,000 to the programme. No end date has been published, so before construction work check the current information at marupe.lv in the section on support for water and sewer connections.
We build the service pipe from the house to the connection point (from €25/m), install a sewage pump station if needed, and pump out, clean and decommission the old septic tank. Steps and documents: connecting to the mains sewer.
Sources: Mārupe Municipality Binding Regulations No. 16/2025 (points 6–9, 12) (likumi.lv); marupe.lv: support for water and sewer connections (2026 budget, 04.02.2026); Binding Regulations No. 13/2023, points 7.6, 13 and 15.1. The programme's end date has not been published, so check it before construction work. Checked on 30 October 2026.
Offices, warehouses and catering near the airport
The airport, logistics, warehouses, offices and retail play an important role in Mārupe's economy. For such sites, the sewer work is different from a private house. Cafés and staff canteens need their grease traps cleaned regularly, and large buildings far from the sewer main need pump station maintenance. For sites without a connection, BIO plants for businesses or regular pumping for businesses are the right fit.
Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve, the A10, the Riga bypass and the airport access roads are busy at peak hours, so we agree the time in advance. If the premises have a pass system, state in your request what needs arranging before entry.
Services in Mārupe
- Septic tank pumping in Mārupe: sludge from all chambers and a certificate with the date and volume, useful for a municipal inspection.
- Holding tank pumping: if the tank fills faster than the water consumption suggests, we check whether ditch water or groundwater is getting in.
- BIO plant maintenance: sludge pumping, flushing and a maintenance document.
- Septic tank for high groundwater: an anchored tank in lower-lying spots.
- Sewerage for a new build: a system that can be registered before the building is put into service.
Prices in Mārupe
In Mārupe, we charge according to the same price list as in Riga: septic tank or holding tank pumping up to 4 m³ from €75, up to 6 m³ from €90, up to 10 m³ from €110. BIO plant maintenance is from €160 and a sewer service pipe from €25/m. Since Mārupe is outside Riga, we add a travel charge of ~€1/km based on the actual distance; near the Riga boundary this is small. The year's two pumpings are easier to schedule if you book them in good time. All prices: prices.
Nearby areas
We also work in the neighbouring areas: Riga, Jūrmala, Olaine and Baloži. The Mārupīte stream flows from Mārupe towards Riga, where Bieriņi has similar detached-house development but different rules. All areas: where we work.