Tank emptying
from$295
- Lid found, opened and closed again
- Tank pumped out and washed down
- Sludge depth and baffles noted
- Waste taken to a licensed treatment works
Tank emptied, lid closed, lawn left tidy
Sumpline empties, inspects and repairs septic tanks for homes and farms. Choose the service and a day that suits you, and we confirm a two hour arrival window by phone.
2 hourarrival windows
11,000 litretanker on every truck
Same weekvisits for most bookings
Sewage backing up into the house or pooling over the tank? Stop using water, keep children and pets away, and call us. Never open a tank or climb inside: the gases in a septic tank can kill within minutes.
Call +1 555 0222Emptying and inspection prices
Prices are for a single tank of up to 4,500 litres within 40 km of the yard. Larger tanks and longer drives are priced when you book.
Emptying with inspection
from$395
- Everything in a standard emptying
- Inlet, outlet and baffles checked
- Effluent filter cleaned where fitted
- Drain field walked and probed
Inspection for a sale
from$260
- For buyers, sellers and lenders
- Tank located, measured and photographed
- A condition report in plain words
- Emptying added on the day if needed
Standard visits need no deposit. Farms and businesses with several tanks get one quote for the whole site, and payment is arranged directly with us after the visit.
Signs the tank needs attention
Septic trouble tends to creep up slowly. These are the signs our drivers hear about most, and what each one usually means.
| The sign | The likely cause | Book this |
|---|---|---|
| Slow drains in every sink and toilet | The tank is full or the outlet is blocked | Tank emptying |
| Pipes gurgle after a bath drains | The vent or the outlet pipe is partly blocked | Emptying with inspection |
| A sewage smell near the tank | A full tank, or a lid that no longer seals | Emptying, plus a lid check |
| Soggy, bright green grass over the drain field | The field is taking more water than it can soak away | A drain field assessment |
| An alarm beeping on a pump chamber | The pump has stopped or the float is stuck | A repair visit, as soon as possible |
Repairs between emptyings
Most repairs happen on the same day as an emptying, because the tank has to be empty before anyone can work on it.
Baffles and tees
Broken inlet and outlet baffles replaced, so solids stay in the tank instead of reaching the drain field.
Per bafflefrom $240
Lids and risers
Buried lids raised to ground level with a riser and a child resistant lid, so every later visit is quicker.
Per lidfrom $380
Effluent filters
An outlet filter fitted or cleaned to catch fine solids before they leave the tank.
Fittedfrom $210
Drain field assessment
Probing, inspection ports and a soak check to see whether the field is coping, with the options set out in writing.
Assessmentfrom $320
Pipe unblocking
Blocked pipes between the house and the tank cleared with rods or a jetter, then checked with a camera.
Visitfrom $180
Pumps and alarms
Pump chambers, floats and high level alarms repaired or replaced on systems that pump out to the field.
Repairfrom $260
New tanks and drain fields need a design and usually a permit, and the rules vary by country and region. We quote those jobs after a site visit.
What happens on the day
A standard emptying takes about an hour from the moment the truck parks.
Call ahead
The driver phones about 30 minutes before arriving inside your window.
Find the lid
The lid is uncovered and opened, with the ground around it kept tidy.
Pump and wash
The tank is pumped out and its walls washed down to loosen the crust.
Check and note
Baffles, levels and the lid seal are checked and written on your visit sheet.
Close and tidy
The lid goes back, any turf is replaced and the hose route is rinsed.
Keep the tank working between visits
A septic tank relies on bacteria to break down waste, and a few habits make a big difference. Most of what goes wrong starts in the kitchen or the bathroom, long before the tank shows a sign.
Every household is different, so we measure the sludge at each visit and suggest when to book the next one, rather than guessing from the calendar.
- Only toilet paper goes down the toilet: no wipes, nappies or cotton buds
- Fats and cooking oil go in the bin, not the sink
- Laundry loads spread out across the week
- Cars, animals and heavy loads kept off the drain field
Out on the round
Farm tracks, village lanes and long driveways: every truck carries 40 metres of hose for tanks that sit well away from the road.
From households and farms (example reviews)
The driver rang ahead, found the lid under the lawn without digging up half the garden, and left a note of the sludge level for next time.
Three tanks across the farm and the cottages, all done in one morning on one invoice. The inspection caught a cracked outlet baffle before it caused trouble.
A clear report for the house sale, delivered in two days, with photos the buyer's lender accepted straight away.
Septic questions we hear every week
How often should a tank be emptied?
It depends on the size of the tank and the number of people using it. Many family homes fall somewhere between two and five years, and we measure the sludge at each visit to suggest your own interval.
Do we need to be home?
Not always. If the lid is easy to find and the truck can reach it, we can visit while you are out. Leave gates unlocked and pets inside.
What if nobody knows where the tank is?
We trace it from the house drain with a probe and, where needed, a locating camera. Allow extra time on the first visit.
Where does the waste go?
To a licensed treatment works or another site approved for it. The rules on carrying and discharging septic waste vary by country and region, and we follow the ones that apply here.
Are tank additives worth buying?
A tank in normal use does not need them, and some strong cleaners and chemicals can harm the bacteria the tank depends on. Regular emptying does more good than any product.
How is a visit paid for?
We invoice after the visit and you pay us directly. Sites with several tanks receive one invoice for the whole job.
Book a septic visit
Pick the service, a day and an arrival window. We phone to confirm it, offer another slot if that one is taken, or explain if the truck cannot reach the property.
- Nothing is booked until we confirm by phone
- Two hour arrival windows
- Overflowing now? Call +1 555 0222
Call the yard
The office takes bookings on weekdays and Saturday mornings. On Sundays the phone is answered for overflows only.
Reach the office
Rural homes, farms and villages within 80 km of our yard
Office hours
| Monday to Friday | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Saturday | 08:00 to 12:00 |
| Sunday | Overflows only |
Where the trucks go
Homes, farms and villages within 80 km of the yard. Remote properties are welcome, and any extra mileage is agreed on the phone before we confirm.