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Sewage holding tank delivery and unloading: preparing your site

A sewage holding tank (Estonian reoveemahuti; UK readers may know a sealed tank as a cesspool or cesspit) collects wastewater for removal by tanker, with no treatment and no outlet. It arrives in one piece: Vesmaco’s tanks are about 2.4–7.8 m long and weigh 150–800 kg. Holding tank delivery goes smoothly when the vehicle can reach a firm unloading spot, suitable lifting equipment is on site, the pit is ready or a storage place is chosen, and someone checks the tank before the vehicle leaves. This article covers what arrives, when to book, the access route, unloading and lifting, and the checks on arrival.

What arrives: sizes, weights and contents

Vesmaco makes its horizontal cylindrical tanks from reinforced fibreglass (GRP) in Estonia and delivers them across the country. Several volumes come in two diameters: the wider version is shorter, which helps on a tight route, but needs a deeper pit. Examples from the model table, which lists all 19 models:

Model Volume Diameter Length (about) Weight
MK-2 D1100 2 m³ 1.1 m 2.4 m 150 kg
MK-5 D1100 5 m³ 1.1 m 5.7 m 300 kg
MK-5 D1400 5 m³ 1.4 m 3.6 m 290 kg
MK-10 D1400 10 m³ 1.4 m 6.7 m 500 kg
MK-10 D1600 10 m³ 1.6 m 5.3 m 480 kg
MK-15 D1600 15 m³ 1.6 m 7.8 m 750 kg
MK-15 D2000 15 m³ 2.0 m 5.2 m 800 kg

The lengths are those shown on the website; the drawing file names give lengths 100 mm shorter. The tank also rests on support legs and has a service riser, so it may stand taller than its diameter. Check the overall dimensions on the drawing for your model, and ask the supplier whether the riser and pipe connections are fitted before delivery.

The base kit is the tank, an emptying pipe, a plastic cover and a set of documents. Options you ticked on the order drawing come on top: an EN 124 hatch, a D400 or D600 riser instead of the standard D200, a vent pipe (optionally with a carbon filter), an overfill alarm, or anchoring straps with tensioners (four for an MK-5 D1400).

Choosing the delivery date

Work back from three things:

  • The readiness date. Vesmaco’s order drawing doubles as an order approval form: you sign it to confirm the options, and Vesmaco fills in the tank’s readiness date. Ask when you order how long it takes from signing to the readiness date and to delivery.
  • The building notice. Installing a holding tank (reovee kogumismahuti) needs a building notice (ehitusteatis), filed through the Building Register (ehitisregister, ehr.ee) at least 10 days before work starts (Building Code § 36 and Annex 1; English translation, for information only, as only the Estonian text has legal force). The municipality may add requirements, so check with your own municipality; see holding tank rules in Estonia.
  • The pit. Vesmaco’s installation guide starts with a pit bottom levelled with at least 20 cm of compacted stone-free sand and, where the tank is anchored, a reinforced-concrete slab with another 20 cm of sand on top. If the tank is to go straight in, this must be ready on delivery day, with the installer present. The full sequence is in installation step by step.

Agree with the supplier in advance whether you or your installer need to be on site to receive the tank.

Seasons matter too. Snow on the route and frozen ground affect delivery as well as installation: see installing a holding tank in winter. In spring, some municipalities temporarily close local roads to heavy vehicles while the thaw weakens them. From 5 March 2026, for example, Võru vald barred vehicles with a registered mass over 8 tonnes from all its roads in the road register, exempting the Rescue Board and one waste company’s refuse trucks. This is an example only: each municipality announces its own dates, limits and exemptions, which can change from year to year, so check your municipality’s current announcements.

Planning the access route and unloading spot

When you request a quote, ask which vehicle will bring the tank: its size and weight, and how much space it needs to turn and unload. Then walk the route from the public road and note:

  • the narrowest point: gateway, lane, bridge or culvert;
  • overhead cables and low branches, along the route and above the unloading spot;
  • soft verges, ditches, slopes and wet ground;
  • where the vehicle can turn, or whether it must reverse in or out;
  • the unloading spot: firm and level, close to the pit, but clear of the excavator’s working area and the spoil heap.

If the tank must go further than the vehicle can, for example round the house, its length becomes the limit. For the same volume a wider model can be about 2 m shorter (MK-5 D1400 against MK-5 D1100), at the price of a deeper pit (see how deep to install a holding tank).

Delivery happens once, but the emptying tanker will keep coming back. Plan both routes together: see tanker access for emptying.

Unloading and lifting the tank

Agree with the supplier in advance who unloads the tank, with what equipment, and whether it can be lifted straight into the pit.

The Ministry of the Environment’s 2015 guide on rural wastewater systems (official guidance, though dated) says that when a holding tank is lifted, the lifting advice in the manufacturer’s installation guide must be followed to avoid damaging it. Vesmaco’s installation guide (2016) has no separate lifting section; its only instruction on straps concerns anchoring, where the tank is fastened only with textile straps. Ask Vesmaco for lifting instructions before delivery day and pass them to whoever lifts the tank.

Give whoever lifts the tank its model, weight, length and diameter in advance, so they can bring a machine able to handle that load at the reach needed.

Checking the tank on arrival and storing it

The ministry guide says that after transport you must make sure the tank has not been damaged. Vesmaco’s installation guide states that Vesmaco is not liable for damage to the product arising during transport or installation, so check before the vehicle leaves and ask in advance how to record anything you find.

Check the delivery against your signed order drawing:

  1. The model and volume are the ones you ordered.
  2. The shell, ends and support legs show no cracks, impact marks or deformation.
  3. The inlet has the diameter you ticked (Ø110 or Ø160) and the D110 vent connection is there.
  4. The riser and the cover or hatch class match the order.
  5. The emptying pipe and the documents are included; keep the documents, as your municipality may ask for them.
  6. Every ordered option is there: vent pipe (with carbon filter if ordered), overfill alarm, anchoring straps and tensioners in the right number.

Photograph the tank from all sides and any damage close up. Do not lower a damaged tank into the pit until you have agreed the next steps with Vesmaco: the Water Act (Veeseadus) § 124(2) requires wastewater to be collected in a leak-tight (lekkekindel) holding tank (English translation; only the Estonian text has legal force), and a defect is much harder to deal with after backfilling.

Lifting the tank straight into a prepared pit means handling it only once. If it has to wait, keep it clear of machines and vehicles, keep the loose parts and documents together in a dry place, and ask Vesmaco how to support and secure the tank meanwhile.

Frequently asked questions

Is delivery included in the tank price? The website says the tanks are delivered all over Estonia but publishes no delivery prices. Give the delivery address in your quote request and ask the quote to state whether delivery is included or, if not, what it costs.

Can the tank be lifted straight into the pit? Only if the pit, its sand bed and any anchoring slab are ready, the installer is there, and the vehicle or machine can reach the pit safely. Whether the delivery vehicle itself can do it is a question to settle with Vesmaco when you order.

What if the tank is damaged on arrival? Photograph it, record the damage as agreed with Vesmaco and call +372 641 8550 before anything is installed. Do not backfill a tank with visible damage.

Include the delivery address in your quote request. Enter it in the quote form with the model or volume, your planned installation date and a short description of the access route and unloading spot; photos help, and the form accepts up to 10 files. Vesmaco can then prepare a quote that takes your site into account; ask for the delivery cost to be shown clearly. Installation is arranged with your installer. Phone: +372 641 8550.

Sources

Last checked: 17 September 2026.