Septic Tank Charges

We offer a septic tank de-sludging service to customers who own a private septic tank which takes standard household waste, such as sewage and waste water.

If you meet all of our basic conditions the standard charges shown below will apply. If you do not meet all of our basic conditions we may still be able to de-sludge your tank, but not at the rates shown below. For details of our basic conditions or any further information about septic tanks please call us on 0845 601 8855.

Customers are reminded that Scottish Water reserves the right to refuse the de-sludging of a septic tank if the conditions are not met and the situation is considered unsafe.

Furthermore if lids are

not readily accessible,
not free from any apparent damage
not seized or locked in position

we will not be liable for any damage caused.

All charges below are based on one tank being de-sludged. If you need multiple tanks on your property de-sludged at the same time we will provide an estimate prior to any service being delivered.

Household Septic Tank De-sludging Charges for 2011/12 are as follows:

Desludging Charges	£ Cost
Scheduled	£158.90
Unscheduled	£230.90
Urgent response or actual cost if more	£332.30

These household charges apply to a single septic tank, serving up to 5 houses which meets all the basic conditions.

Additional Charges

There will be an additional charge where the volume is greater than 9m³; and this is based per m³; or part thereof.

Additional charge per m³

£14.50

We may impose a charge if our visit is abortive - that is, if we arrive at the property but can't de-sludge the septic tank for reasons beyond our control.

Charge for abortive visit

£55.30

There are three levels of service available to septic tank owners in Scotland.

1. Scheduled Service

You can sign a contract with us and we will de-sludge your septic tank at agreed intervals. A planned schedule of regular de-sludging services helps to keep your charges - and our costs - down. This service is charged at the approved rates in operation at the time of each de-sludging service.

Criteria includes:

weight and manageability of the lid of the tank (i.e. capable of being moved or lifted by one person)
location of tank (i.e. accessibility and/or distance and height from the tanker)
vehicle access and parking facilities

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and other factors may apply.

2. Unscheduled Service

If you would rather not enter into a contract with us, we will de-sludge your tank within 5 working days of your request where possible (provided we can get access to it). This service is more expensive to provide than the scheduled service, so the charges are higher.

3. Urgent Response Service

If you need your septic tank de-sludged urgently we will aim to attend within 2 working days of your request where possible. This urgent response service is the most expensive for us to provide and this is reflected in the charge.

We may have to charge you the full cost of doing the work. We will send you an invoice after your tank has been de-sludged , with payment for the service being due immediately. We will not provide any de-sludging service to a customer who has failed to pay a previous charge for a de-sludging service.

All our charges for 2011-12 can be downloaded here