Art Nouveau and pre-war masonry buildings, offices, hotels and shops mostly use the city network, so septic tank pumping is the exception here. Our work in the centre is grease traps in cafés and hotel kitchens, pump stations in basements that lie lower than the street network, and courtyard sewers up to the city control manhole.
When you need us and when you need another specialist
In the centre, the same smell or slow drainage can come from very different places. To avoid paying for an unnecessary call-out, first work out where the problem is:
| Problem | Who deals with it |
|---|---|
| A blocked sink or toilet in one flat | A plumber or the building manager |
| The building's internal soil stacks | The building manager |
| The courtyard pipe and manholes up to the control manhole | The owner; we can do the construction and replacement |
| The street sewer main beyond the control manhole | Rīgas ūdens (Riga's water utility) |
| A full grease trap, a basement pump station, a flooded basement | Us |
In Riga the city network ends at the control manhole, one and a half to two metres from the street's red line (the official street boundary). Everything on the building's side is the owners' responsibility.
Basements below the street network level
If the basement has a toilet, shower, washing machine or kitchen and their outlet is lower than the street sewer, the wastewater won't flow away on its own. When the street network overflows in a downpour, water can flow back into the basement.
The solution is a sewage pump station or a compact lifting unit with a non-return valve. A unit installed in the room suits a single toilet or shower; a kitchen and several fixtures need a bigger tank. If the pump hums but doesn't pump the water: sewage pump repair.
Groundwater seeping into the basement must not be discharged into the domestic sewer without the agreement of Rīgas ūdens. After heavy rain we pump the water out with the tanker (basement pumping), but a permanent problem needs drainage or another separate solution.
Cafés, hotels and office kitchens
Riga's rules prohibit discharging grease-containing wastewater into the network, so a kitchen that washes greasy dishes needs a grease trap. In the centre it may be in the basement or in a courtyard building, and we need to know the route to it: how many metres, how many steps, and whether the doors can be left open for the hose.
An office kitchenette often needs only a small separator under the sink, but a restaurant or hotel kitchen needs a larger tank and more frequent cleaning. We set the schedule after the first cleanings, when it is clear how fast the grease layer builds up. More detail: grease trap cleaning in Riga city centre; for several sites on one schedule: pumping for businesses.
Sources: Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 17 “Binding Regulations on the Operation, Use and Protection of the Riga City Centralised Water Supply and Sewerage System”, points 3.6, 63.9 and 63.11.7 (likumi.lv/ta/id/296134). Checked 30 October 2026.
Gateway, parking and the building manager
In the centre, much of the work is logistics: dense buildings, limited parking and courtyards entered through a narrow gateway. The vacuum tanker usually stays on the street, and we run the hose through the gate. In your request, state:
- the width and height of the gateway, if the tanker would need to drive into the courtyard;
- whether a truck may stop on the street by the building;
- the distance from the street to the lid or separator;
- who will open the gate, the basement or the kitchen;
- whether the building manager or neighbours need to be warned about the work.
Courtyard sewers and manholes
In a courtyard, the inspection chambers and pipes that connect several buildings to the city control manhole are maintained by the owners. We build or replace these sections (sewer installation from €25/m), install new sewer manholes and separate rainwater if it has been fed into the domestic pipe: rainwater drainage.
If a building still has a tank, the same Riga rules apply to it as to private houses: registration with the Housing and Environment Department and regular removal.
Before you send a request: when you can solve the problem without us
Not every smell in a basement means a full separator or a broken pump. Check these things yourself first:
- A smell after the holidays in a room where water hasn't been used for a long time: the traps may have dried out. Pour water into every floor drain and sink.
- Water won't drain from just one sink: the pipe to the separator is blocked, and that is a job for a plumber.
- The pump won't switch on: check the fuse and the power supply before concluding that the pump is faulty.
- All the kitchen sinks drain slowly and there is a smell at the lid: the separator is most likely full and needs cleaning.
If the problem remains after these checks, describe it in your request; that way we can bring the right equipment the first time.
Prices in Riga city centre
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| Grease trap cleaning | from €90 |
| Sewage pump station | from €1,650 |
| Pumping (manhole, basement, tank) up to 4 m³ | from €75 |
| Courtyard sewer | from €25/m |
We don't add a travel charge in the centre. The price may be affected by the hose length, work in the basement and the thickness of the grease layer.
Neighbouring areas
We do similar work in Vecrīga (Old Riga), Avoti, Brasa and Grīziņkalns. All Riga neighbourhoods: Riga and where we work.