What a cesspit is
A cesspit, cesspool or cess tank is a sealed underground tank that collects all the waste water from a property. Nothing leaves it except by tanker. That is the key difference from a septic tank, which lets settled liquid flow out to a drainage field and only needs the sludge removed from time to time.
Cesspits are common on older rural homes, on sites where the ground is too wet or too rocky for a drainage field, and as temporary storage on building sites. You will often see them in Kent, Essex, Norfolk and parts of the South West.
How often a cesspit needs emptying
Because nothing drains away, a cesspit fills at the rate you use water. A rough guide is the tank capacity divided by your daily water use. A family using several hundred litres a day can fill a smaller tank within a few weeks. A larger tank or a single occupant stretches that to months. If your cesspit fills faster than expected, rainwater or groundwater may be getting in, which is worth investigating because you pay to remove every litre.
A high level alarm, fitted inside the tank, warns you before it overflows. If yours has none, ask a contractor about fitting one.
Regular collections versus one off empties
Most cesspit owners save money by agreeing a regular collection with one firm, booked in advance at a set price per load. Emergency calls when the alarm sounds are usually dearer and can mean a wait. When you ask for a quote, give the tank capacity if you know it, how many people live there and how often it has been emptied before.
Your legal duties
In England, GOV.UK says the owner must have the cesspool emptied regularly by a registered waste carrier, keep it in good repair and make sure it does not leak or overflow. If a cesspool leaks, the Environment Agency or the local council can take action. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators, so check the rules for your nation.
When to think about replacing it
If emptying costs keep rising, ask whether the site could take a septic tank and drainage field, or a sewage treatment plant. A percolation test shows whether the ground drains well enough. Replacement needs building control approval and must meet the general binding rules, but it can cut the number of tanker visits from many a year to about one. See septic tank installation and treatment plant installation.
Cost of emptying a cesspit
Price depends on the volume removed, tanker access, hose length, travel and disposal. Our cesspit emptying cost guide shows published examples and how to budget for a year of collections.
Businesses advertising this service
23 listed contractors say on their own websites that they do this work. Check that each covers your postcode.
Show these contractors on a map.
Business address checked on its own website Area the business covers, not a premises
ABL Liquid Waste
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
West Sussex firm advertising septic tank and cesspit emptying, with single empties or regular arrangements.
View business detailsCall this business01243 837309
Clearmasters
Smallfield, Surrey
Advertises septic and cesspit emptying, treatment-plant maintenance and drainage services across the South East.
View business detailsCall this business03333 233566
Drain Detectives
South East service area
Advertises septic tank and cesspit emptying, treatment-plant work and installations across named South East counties.
View business detailsCall this business0800 357 9371
Drainforce
Bridgend and Tenby, Wales
Advertises septic tank and cesspit emptying across South and West Wales, with inspection and repair options.
View business detailsCall this business0800 6546399
Owls Hall Environmental
Braintree, Essex (covers Surrey and Suffolk)
Essex-based wastewater firm advertising septic tank emptying and desludging, treatment plant servicing and repairs, installations and home buyer surveys across Surrey and Suffolk.
View business detailsCall this business01371 850537
Peachy Services
Crawley, West Sussex
Crawley-based firm advertising septic tank and cesspit emptying, treatment plant installation and servicing, repairs and a 24/7 call-out across Sussex, Surrey and the South East.
View business detailsCall this business01293 769865
Pro Waste
Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire firm advertising septic tank, cesspit and treatment plant emptying, mini tanker services and maintenance programmes, including Tenby.
View business detailsCall this business01834 814900
Walsh Brothers
Alloa, Scotland
Offers septic tank and cesspit emptying for households in named areas of Scotland’s Central Belt.
View business detailsCall this business01259 214507
West Sussex Drains
Sidlesham Common, Chichester
Chichester drainage firm advertising septic tank emptying with 24/7 emergency call-outs across West Sussex and Hampshire.
View business detailsCall this business01243 671359
West Wales Waste
Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire
Pembroke Dock firm advertising septic tank and cesspit emptying, treatment plant servicing and repairs, and septic tank installation in Tenby and Pembrokeshire.
View business detailsCall this business01646 629089
Euroloo
Chelmsford, Essex (national depots)
National tank emptying company with regional depots, advertising septic tank, cesspit and Klargester emptying for homes and businesses.
View business detailsCall this business0808 291 1507
Salop Drain Services
Upton Magna, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury drainage firm offering septic tank and cesspool emptying, T-piece replacement and CCTV drain surveys.
View business detailsCall this business01743 709275
SPH Plant
Horsehay, Telford
Telford waste and plant firm emptying septic tanks and cesspits, installing septic systems and doing soakaway and drain work.
View business detailsCall this business01952 501155
Severn Waste Services
Dolfor, Newtown (Powys)
Family firm near Newtown emptying, installing and repairing septic tanks and soakaways across Shropshire and Mid Wales.
View business detailsCall this business01686 625577
Carnon Valley Transport
Carnon Downs, Truro
Family firm at Carnon Downs emptying septic tanks and cesspits and servicing treatment plants around Truro since 1986.
View business detailsCall this business01872 438798
Leaders Septic Tank Emptying Cornwall
Treswithian Downs, Camborne
Family business run by Louise and Mike Leader emptying septic tanks, cesspools and treatment plants across west Cornwall.
View business detailsCall this business01209 697480
Diamond Drainage
Bridge of Don, Aberdeen
Aberdeen drainage firm emptying septic tanks and cesspits, replacing tanks and soakaways and running CCTV surveys.
View business detailsCall this business01224 701788
East Anglian Tankering Services
Smallburgh, Norfolk
Smallburgh firm emptying septic tanks, cesspits and pump chambers and maintaining treatment plants across east and north Norfolk.
View business detailsCall this business01603 913043
Go Tankers
Ellough, Beccles
Suffolk based firm emptying septic tanks, cesspits, treatment plants and pump stations and installing and repairing systems across East Anglia.
View business detailsCall this business01473 528000
Yorkshire Septics
Sutton-on-the-Forest, York
York area company emptying septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants, and installing tanks, plants, pumping stations and drainage fields.
View business detailsCall this business01904 439747
Spirebourne
Witheridge, Tiverton
Family firm in Witheridge emptying, servicing and installing septic tanks and treatment plants across Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.
View business detailsCall this business01884 861000
Always Cleansing
South Devon
Devon tanker firm emptying septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants, with trucks suited to narrow Devon lanes.
View business detailsCall this business01364 73774
Aquablast Drain Services
South West England
South West drainage firm emptying septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants at fixed prices with no call-out charge, 24 hours.
View business detailsCall this business0800 097 8255
Get a quote from a local contractor
Tell us about the job and we will pass it to one listed contractor that covers your postcode and does this work. It is free, and you agree the price and visit directly with the business. Prefer to choose yourself? Call any business on this page.
Common questions
What is the difference between a cesspit and a septic tank?
A cesspit, also called a cesspool, is a sealed tank with no outlet. It stores everything until it is emptied. A septic tank lets settled water flow out to a drainage field, so it only needs emptying of sludge, usually about once a year.
How often does a cesspit need emptying?
It depends on the tank size and how much water you use. A busy household can fill a small cesspit in a few weeks. Divide the capacity by your daily water use for a rough guide, and fit a high level alarm.
Is a cesspool the same as a cesspit?
Yes. Cesspit, cesspool and cess tank all describe the same sealed holding tank.
Who can empty a cesspit?
In England the firm that takes the waste away must be a registered waste carrier. You can check it on the Environment Agency public register.
Can I replace a cesspit with something cheaper to run?
Often, yes. If the ground allows a drainage field, a septic tank or treatment plant usually costs less to run because it is emptied far less often. You will need building control approval.