Wastewater pumping and sewers in Vecrīga - restaurants, hotels and narrow streets

Access, timing and a place for the tanker

In Vecrīga (in the official division into neighbourhoods it is called Vecpilsēta), access for vehicles and deliveries is regulated, the area is largely pedestrian, and there are few parking spaces. So for every job we agree three things: a time when there are fewer people in the street and the kitchen is not working, a place where the tanker is allowed to stop, and a route for the hose to the separator.

In your request, tell us:

• the way to the separator: from the street, through the courtyard or via the service door;
• how many metres and how many steps there are to the lid;
• who will open the doors and whether the building manager needs to be informed;
• whether the premises have their own access procedure or a permit, which the premises arrange themselves.

Grease traps in restaurants and hotels

In a restaurant kitchen, the amount of grease depends on the menu and the number of meals: with fried and fatty dishes, the separator fills up faster. A small separator under the sink has to be cleaned often, a larger one in the basement less often, but with a vacuum tanker. A hotel with a breakfast room and a restaurant may have several separators; we clean them in one visit.

After cleaning, we fill the separator with clean water, because when empty it lets grease straight into the network, and we issue a certificate with the date and volume that you can show to the building manager or at an inspection. We deliver the pumped-out grease to a facility that accepts this kind of waste. More: grease trap cleaning in Vecrīga; if one owner has several premises: pumping services for businesses.

A new tenant or a new menu

If a café is opening in premises that used to be a shop or an office, first ask the landlord whether there is a separator at all, where it is and when it was last cleaned. It is worth emptying and checking it before opening, so that you don't start work with a layer built up over years.

If the separator fills up within a few days, it may be too small for the current kitchen. We see this after the first few cleanings and can tell you what volume would be needed; agree any replacement of the separator in a historic building with the building manager.

What Riga's rules say about grease

Riga's binding regulations on the mains water supply and sewer system prohibit discharging wastewater containing fats, as well as food and production waste, into the city network. For a food business, a grease trap is the way to meet this requirement, but only if it is cleaned regularly.

In narrow, old streets, grease that flows past a full separator hardens not only in the building's pipes but also in the courtyard and street sections. The problem then affects the neighbours, and clearing it costs more than emptying the separator in time.

Basements in historic buildings

If a toilet, kitchen or laundry room is in a basement below the street sewer, the wastewater is lifted by a lifting unit. Grease and wet wipes burden its tank and floats just as they do a separator, so the cleaning can be combined in one visit. If the pump does not switch on or hums without working: sewage pump repair; for a new unit: sewage pump stations.

Heritage protection of historic buildings, the narrow streets and the courtyards determine how the work is organised, and digging or rebuilding is more complicated here. Before any construction work, check with the owner or building manager what approvals are needed. That is why we first look for a solution with the existing unit: cleaning, replacing the pump or fitting a non-return valve.

Manholes and tanks in courtyards

Some courtyards have inspection chambers, drainage wells or old tanks where sludge and sand build up. We pump them out with the same tanker and hose we use to clean the separator, so if both jobs are needed at one address, write that in your request. More: drainage well cleaning.

Prices in Vecrīga

In Vecrīga we do not add a travel charge. Longer hoses and work in a basement can affect the time and the price, so describe them in advance.

Neighbouring areas

We do similar work in central Riga, Klīversala, Ķīpsala and Maskavas forštate. All places: where we work.