For private houses we pump out septic tanks and holding tanks and build connection pipes to the city network; for businesses we clean grease traps and empty domestic wastewater tanks. Pumping a holding tank of up to 6 m³ costs from €90.
Dārzciems: detached houses next to commercial areas
Dārzciems is a densely populated eastern inner-city neighbourhood between Purvciems, Pļavnieki and Šķirotava. Its detached-house blocks border apartment buildings, warehouses and shops, so one block may have a house with a holding tank in the yard and, a few hundred metres away, a food business with a grease separator.
In both cases the job is similar (pump out, take away, issue a document), but the access, the timing and the rules to follow are different.
A holding tank at a private house: how many times a year to pump it
Riga's rules do not set a fixed number of times for a holding tank. The minimum frequency is calculated by dividing the annual water consumption by the tank volume; if there is no water meter, 9.125 m³ a year is assumed for each declared resident. Example for a 5 m³ tank without a meter:
| Declared residents | Assumed consumption per year | Pumpings per year |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 18.25 m³ | at least 4 |
| 3 | 27.375 m³ | at least 6 |
| 4 | 36.5 m³ | at least 8 |
| 5 | 45.625 m³ | at least 10 |
If in reality the tank needs pumping much less often than the calculation shows, it is most likely not watertight. If frequent pumping becomes expensive and there is a city network in the street, connecting may be better value: for a residential house, Riga covers €1,000–2,000 depending on the length of the connection pipe. Steps: connecting to the mains sewer.
Shops and food businesses: grease traps
Riga's mains sewer rules prohibit discharging fats and food waste into the network. For cafés and shops that prepare food, a grease trap is a mandatory part of the system, and it must be cleaned regularly, because a full separator no longer holds back the grease.
An underground separator in the yard needs access for a vacuum tanker; a small separator under the sink we clean by running the hose indoors. Grease trap cleaning in Dārzciems costs from €90, and the price depends on the volume, the amount of hardened grease and the distance to the lid.
Warehouses, logistics and car services
If the toilets and showers in a business building are connected to a holding tank, it must be emptied under the same Riga rules as a private house, and there must be a document for each pumping. In Riga, a legal entity can be fined up to 280 penalty units, or €1,400, for breaching the decentralised sewage rules.
Warehouses with a low loading ramp or a basement can collect water after heavy rain. If it is dirty or there is nowhere to discharge it, basement pumping helps, and for blocked wells around the building, drainage well cleaning. How we work with businesses: pumping services for businesses.
Traffic on Lubānas iela and the Southern Bridge corridor
Dārzciema iela, Lubānas iela and the Southern Bridge (Dienvidu tilts) corridor give good access, but the traffic on them is heavy, and stopping on the street to work isn't safe. On commercial premises the tanker needs a spot where it won't obstruct trucks and shoppers, so in your request give the entrance, a contact person on site and a time when no cars or goods will be parked by the lid.
In the detached-house blocks the streets are quieter but narrower. If the lid is behind the house, give the distance from the gate: septic tank pumping in Dārzciems is done with a hose that can be joined to the required length.
Sources: Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 66, points 23 and 30 (likumi.lv/ta/id/304471); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. 17, sub-points 63.11.7 and 63.11.8 (likumi.lv/ta/id/296134); Riga City Council Binding Regulations No. RD-23-207-sn, point 11 (likumi.lv/ta/id/343520); Law on Administrative Liability, Section 16, Paragraph Two: one penalty unit is €5 (likumi.lv/ta/id/303007). Checked 30 October 2026.
What we do in Dārzciems
- For private houses: septic tank and holding tank pumping and a certificate for the declaration.
- Connecting to the network: connection pipe installation from €25/m and decommissioning the old tank.
- For food businesses and food shops: grease trap cleaning.
- For warehouses and workshops: pumping out domestic wastewater tanks, basement pumping and drainage well cleaning.
Nearest neighbourhoods
In the eastern neighbourhoods we also work in Purvciems, Pļavnieki, Šķirotava and Krasta rajons. All places: where we work.