Cesspit and septic tank emptying in Surrey

Which listed firms empty tanks in Surrey?

Clearmasters, Peachy Services, Owls Hall Environmental, Drain Detectives and Euroloo all advertise emptying in Surrey. Clearmasters is the only one with a published address in Surrey; the others work in from Crawley, Essex and a Surrey depot.

Clearmasters lists its main office in Smallfield, in Tandridge, and its website names Guildford, Reigate, Dorking and Woking. Peachy Services comes up from Kilmarnock Farm, just south of the Surrey border near Gatwick, and names Reigate, Oxted, Leatherhead, Dorking, Guildford and East Horsley. Owls Hall Environmental, from Blackmore End near Braintree, says its services cover all of Surrey and lists more than forty Surrey towns and boroughs, from Egham and Staines to Caterham and Haslemere. Drain Detectives names Guildford and Woking. Euroloo quotes from what it calls its Surrey depot, without publishing the address, and names Woking, Camberley, Guildford, Farnham, Leatherhead, Redhill and Epsom.

East Surrey or West Surrey: which firms name your area?

From April 2027, two new councils replace Surrey County Council and the eleven borough and district councils. East Surrey takes in Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge. West Surrey takes in Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking. The table uses the same split.

Owls Hall is the only listed firm that names a place in every borough. Clearmasters is the only one that publishes an address in the county, which matters most for an urgent call in Tandridge or Reigate and Banstead. For a town by town view, see Guildford, Reigate, Dorking and Cranleigh. To compare prices, ask for a quote or ring two firms from the list below.

Who handles building control while the councils change?

Until the new councils start in April 2027, your current borough or district council still deals with building regulations for a new or replacement tank. After that, East Surrey or West Surrey will, so check which body to apply to on the day.

The government confirmed the two council model, and the shadow councils were elected in May 2026. Surrey Heath Borough Council says the existing councils keep providing services through the change. A registered building control approver is an alternative to the council for building regulations work. For how a new system is chosen and approved, see sewage treatment plant installation.

Heaths and the North Downs: where the rules are stricter

Surrey has three large protected sites that sit close to homes on private drainage. Under England's general binding rules, a discharge to the ground cannot meet the rules within 50 metres of one, and one draining to a ditch or stream cannot meet them within 500 metres. Owners that close need an Environment Agency permit, or a sewer connection where that is reasonable.

• Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area, designated on 9 March 2005 for breeding nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler. It spreads across 11 planning authority areas in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire.
• Wealden Heaths Special Protection Areas on the Waverley and Hampshire border. JNCC's record for phase two, classified in March 1998, covers 2,056 hectares and protects the same three heathland birds.
• Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Special Area of Conservation, 892 hectares of the North Downs protected for box scrub, chalk grassland rich in orchids and yew woodland.

None of this changes a routine empty. It matters when a tank is replaced, an outlet is moved or a house near a common changes hands, so ask the installer to look up the site boundaries on the government's MAGIC map before anything is designed.

Will a big tanker reach your tank?

Euroloo's Surrey page says its tankers are 32 tonne six wheelers that need to park on hard standing within 30 metres of the tank, with extra pipework booked in advance for longer runs. Clearmasters says its own tankers carry between 2,000 and 4,000 gallons.

That spread is why access is worth describing when you call: how wide the lane is, any weight limit on a private road and the length of the drive all affect which vehicle a firm can send. The Dorking page has more on lanes, and the Reigate page on heavy clay below the escarpment. Never open a tank or lean into a chamber yourself, because sewage gases can be deadly.

How often does a Surrey cesspit or septic tank need emptying?

A cesspit has no outlet, so it needs a visit whenever it is close to full, and the gap depends on its size and the household. GOV.UK says septic tank sludge should be removed at least once a year, or in line with the manufacturer's instructions.

Owls Hall also offers temporary wastewater storage, which can help if a cesspit fails and a household needs a stopgap. For a planned empty in the Guildford area there is a dedicated Guildford emptying page. The cesspit emptying cost guide and septic tank emptying cost guide show what affects the price of a load, and how a septic tank works explains the difference between the two systems.

Conversions, plants and pumps

CH Services, at Farnhurst Farm in Alfold near Cranleigh, says it covers all of Surrey and converts existing septic tanks and cesspits into treatment plants using the Airseptor system. It also inspects systems for buyers and sellers. It does not list emptying. Arun Pumps, from Rustington in West Sussex, names Guildford and works on pumps, pump stations and treatment plants. For a plant that needs a regular visit, see treatment plant servicing; for a wet lawn that keeps coming back after an empty, see drainage fields.

Listed contractors in Surrey

Firms that advertise emptying

Cesspit and septic tank emptying, listed with where each firm is based.

Conversion, plant and pump firms

These firms do not advertise tank emptying. Contact them for conversions, inspections, plant work or pump faults.

Sources

Each listing was checked against the business's own website on 27 October 2026. Official pages were opened the same day.

• Clearmasters, company website
• Peachy Services, company website
• Owls Hall Environmental: Surrey page
• Drain Detectives: septic tank emptying
• Euroloo: septic tank emptying in Surrey
• Euroloo: septic tank emptying in Woking
• CH Services, company website
• Arun Pumps, company website
• GOV.UK: general binding rules, discharge to the ground (updated 23 July 2026)
• GOV.UK: general binding rules, discharge to a surface water (updated 2 October 2023)
• Surrey Heath Borough Council: two unitary model confirmed
• Runnymede Borough Council: Thames Basin Heaths background
• JNCC: Wealden Heaths Phase 2 SPA data form
• JNCC: Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Special Area of Conservation
• Defra: MAGIC map

Nearby areas

Septic tank and cesspit emptying in West Sussex, tank services in Crawley. See also cesspit emptying, septic tank emptying and all mapped areas.