Cesspool and Cesspit Emptying in Kent and East Sussex

How often a cesspool needs emptying

A cesspool, or a cesspit as most people round here call it, is a sealed tank. It stores everything that leaves your property and treats none of it, so the level only ever goes one way. Once it reaches roughly 70 to 80 percent it needs emptying, and leaving it beyond that risks an overflow, contaminated ground and action from the Environment Agency.

Most cesspools need emptying every four to eight weeks, depending on the size of the tank and how many people live there. The building regulations size a new cesspool at 18,000 litres for two people plus 6,800 litres for each extra person, so a family of five fills a minimum size tank far faster than a couple does. We work out a sensible interval with you on the first visit, and our guide to how often a cesspool should be emptied goes into the detail.

Signs your cesspool is due

If you have a high level alarm, it will tell you. Without one, the usual signs are slow drains, gurgling from plugholes, a smell around the cover or damp ground near the tank. By the time water is backing up into the house it is overdue. Signs your cesspool is full walks through them, and if it has already gone over, what happens when a cesspool overflows explains what to do first.

A tank that suddenly needs emptying far more often than it used to is worth a closer look. Old brick and concrete cesspools can take on rainwater or groundwater through a cracked cover or a failed joint, and you then pay to have clean water tankered away. We look for it while the tank is empty.

What happens on the day

We bring a vacuum tanker, lift your access cover and drop the suction hose straight in. There is no digging and no mess. Where the tanker cannot get close, we can run a long hose from the road, so tell us about the access when you ring, because it also shapes the price.

While the tank is empty we look at the cover, the seals, the inlet and the alarm if you have one. Small faults are far cheaper caught on a routine visit than found during an overflow. What happens during a cesspool emptying covers the visit step by step.

One off, or a regular slot in the diary

You can book a single empty, or ask us to put you on a schedule. Once we know how quickly your tank fills, we book the next empty before it is needed, so it never creeps up on you. Emergencies are covered too, day or night, through our 24 hour callouts.

Licensed disposal and the paperwork

We are a registered waste carrier, number CBDU266860, and you can check that on the Environment Agency's public register. Everything we take away goes to a licensed treatment facility, and you get a waste transfer note for your records. Keep those notes, because a buyer's solicitor will ask about the system when you sell.

The rules for cesspools

Cesspools are not covered by the General Binding Rules, because they discharge nothing. That does not mean anything goes. The tank must be watertight, it must not overflow or leak, and the owner is responsible if it pollutes the ground or a watercourse.

Are cesspools still legal explains where they stand today. They remain the honest answer on plenty of sites around New Romney and the Marsh and Rye, where the ground and the protected sites rule out anything that discharges.

What it costs

We give you a price before we set off. It depends mainly on the size of the tank, how often it is emptied and how easy it is to reach, so ring with your postcode and a rough idea of the tank and we will price it for you. Our guide to what a cesspool costs to install and run explains the running cost over a year, and if a cesspool is starting to look expensive, new tank installations covers the alternatives your ground might allow.