A sewage holding tank (reoveemahuti; in legal texts reovee kogumismahuti) is a sealed underground tank with no outlet: it stores household wastewater until a tanker pumps it out (purgimine). It treats nothing, so it is not a septic tank; UK readers may know it as a cesspool or cesspit. If you are trying to pin down a sewage holding tank price in Estonia, the short answer is that one volume can carry several prices, because every Vesmaco tank is ordered against a drawing on which you choose the inlet, riser, hatch and accessories. That is why this guide gives no figures: the price that counts is the one quoted for your configuration. This guide covers the base kit, each priced option, the costs outside the tank price, and what to send for an exact quote.
What the base kit includes
According to Vesmaco’s site, the basic delivery has four parts:
- the holding tank, made by Vesmaco in Estonia from reinforced fibreglass (GRP);
- an emptying (discharge) pipe;
- a plastic cover;
- a set of documents.
The order drawing adds the detail: a standard PVC D200 service/emptying riser 500–1000 mm high, a plastic cover, a PVC Ø110 or Ø160 inlet and a PVC D110 vent connection. The material is GRP “Vesmaco Composite”, rated for pH 3–10 and temperatures up to 60 °C. Ask the supplier which riser and riser height the base price covers.
Ask about two things before comparing prices. Documents: ask the supplier which conformity documents come with the tank; many municipalities ask for them at commissioning (Saaremaa, for example, asks for conformity certificates). The ISO 9001:2015 certificate shown on Vesmaco’s site is a quality-management certificate of the company, not a product certificate. Warranty: ask for the warranty terms in writing — the period, what is covered and the conditions, such as installation according to the manufacturer’s guide. The site lists an extended warranty among its options, so ask whether it is a price line of its own. Which document proves what is explained in Sewage holding tank certificates and warranties.
Everything else — load-rated hatch, wider riser, vent pipe, alarm, straps — is a separate line in the quote.
Volume and diameter: how dimensions affect price
Volume is the first thing a quote depends on. The 19 models run from 2 to 15 m³, and the weights shown on the site rise from 150 kg to 800 kg — a rough measure of how much more material goes into a larger shell.
| Diameter family | Volumes | Length (about) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1100 | 2–5 m³ | 2.4–5.7 m | 150–300 kg |
| D1400 | 4–10 m³ | 2.9–6.7 m | 250–500 kg |
| D1600 | 6–15 m³ | 3.3–7.8 m | 320–750 kg |
| D2000 | 15 m³ | 5.2 m | 800 kg |
Values as displayed on reoveemahutid.ee; lengths are approximate, so check the drawing for your model when precision matters.
Every volume from 4 to 10 m³, and 15 m³, comes in two diameters. A 5 m³ tank is either about 5.7 m long (MK-5 D1100, 300 kg) or about 3.6 m long (MK-5 D1400, 290 kg). All models are horizontal cylinders, so a larger diameter gives a shorter tank but a deeper pit; the D1100 family is the longest and shallowest. If both diameters would suit your site, ask for both to be quoted. The choice also changes what your installer has to price: a long shallow trench or a short deep pit.
Do not choose the volume on purchase price alone: a smaller tank must be emptied more often, and every tanker visit is a bill. The ministry’s 2015 planning guide assumes 100–150 L of wastewater per person per day and suggests at least 5 m³ for a family of four living permanently, emptied about once a week. The full calculation, including the limit set by local tanker sizes, is in What size sewage holding tank do you need?.
Riser, hatch class and inlet: options on the order drawing
Each model has a drawing (PDF and DWG, in English, Estonian and Russian) in the model table. The drawing doubles as an order-confirmation form: you mark the options, state the inlet depth and sign. The list below comes from drawing MK-5 D1400, revision B of 15.08.2025; check the drawing for your own model, as options can differ between models and the drawing notes that Vesmaco may make changes without notice.
| Item on the drawing | Standard | Priced alternatives | What decides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inlet pipe | PVC Ø110 or Ø160 | — | The sewer pipe leaving your building |
| Inlet depth h | You state it; max 1500 mm | — | How deep that pipe arrives at the tank |
| Service/emptying riser | PVC D200, h 500–1000 mm | D400 (h 500–1000 mm) or D600 (h 500–1500 mm) | How deep the tank sits; access wanted from the surface; ask the supplier which riser suits your model |
| Cover | Plastic cover | EN 124 hatch: A15 (1.5 t), B125 (12.5 t), C250 (25 t) or D400 (40 t) | What can stand or drive on the ground above the tank |
A deeper inlet needs a taller riser, and Vesmaco’s installation guide treats installation deeper than 1.5 m as a special case needing a reinforced-concrete load-distribution slab above the tank — a line in your installer’s quote, not in the tank price.
The hatch class needs the most care. Where vehicles may cross or park, a load-rated hatch alone is not enough: Vesmaco’s guide also requires the same reinforced-concrete load-distribution slab above the tank, while the ministry’s 2015 guide is stricter — no holding tank under a road or parking area, and no emptying truck driving over it. Where the two differ, a qualified designer decides; ask Vesmaco which hatch class suits the site. The slab’s dimensions and the other work lines traffic adds are set out in Sewage holding tank installation costs.
Accessories: alarm, filtered vent, anchoring straps
Level alarm. The drawing lists an overfill alarm as an option, and the site offers the wireless Smartel Tank-Check RF-431: a transmitter with a level sensor in the tank and a receiver indoors. The manufacturer’s sheet gives a typical battery life of up to 10 years. The ministry guide calls a level sensor advisable. The site also has a sheet for a similar “Vesmaco Cesspool Alarm”. To choose between them, compare the datasheets and ask the supplier which one your quote includes.
Ventilation. Every tank has a PVC D110 vent connection. A vent pipe is optional, and so is a vent pipe with a carbon filter, which the site describes as odour-neutralising. Ask the supplier whether replacement filters are available and how often they should be changed.
Anchoring straps. The drawing offers polyester straps with tensioners (L = 5.5 + 0.5 m); the MK-5 D1400 drawing shows four. The number of straps is specified per model by the manufacturer, so check the drawing for your model. Vesmaco’s guide allows textile straps only and tells buyers to ask the seller about strap type and quantity. The straps tie the tank to a reinforced-concrete slab (in stable soil, blocks) beneath it; the ministry guide calls a slab with anchoring essential where groundwater is high. The slab is not on the drawing’s option list: Vesmaco’s guide leaves its weight and dimensions to a certified design or construction organisation, so it belongs in the installer’s quote.
One cost warning comes straight from Vesmaco’s guide: “If the installation instructions are violated or ignored, the product warranty does not apply.” Saving on straps, sand or compaction can cost you the warranty.
Delivery and the costs the tank price does not cover
Vesmaco delivers across Estonia. The tanks are about 2.4–7.8 m long and weigh 150–800 kg, so ask for delivery to your address as its own line in the quote and prepare the site: vehicle access, a firm surface and a clear space to set the tank down. Agree in advance with the supplier how the tank will be unloaded.
Installation. Digging, bedding, backfilling and connecting the tank are jobs for a qualified installer, not part of the tank quote. Vesmaco’s installation guide advises buyers without experience of installing tanks to contact the supplier or manufacturer for a list of licensed installers. What an installer’s quote should contain, line by line, is covered in Sewage holding tank installation costs.
Paperwork. Annexes 1 and 2 of the Building Code (official English translation; only the Estonian text has legal force) list a building notice (ehitusteatis) for installing a holding tank, filed through the Building Register (ehitisregister, ehr.ee) at least 10 days before work starts, and a use notice (kasutusteatis) at least 10 days before use; no building permit is listed. Municipalities may add requirements, including a setback (kuja), in their local wastewater rules, so check with your own municipality before ordering.
Emptying. This is a holding tank’s real running cost: every litre that goes in leaves by tanker. Tanker prices are local, so we do not quote them. Ask an emptying company near you whether it charges per visit or per m³, then budget with annual cost = emptyings per year × local price per visit.
How to request an exact quote
A quote is exact only when it matches a drawing. Send:
- the volume you need — or the number of people and how the property is used (year-round, summer, rental), and we will suggest models;
- inlet depth h (max 1500 mm) and inlet diameter (Ø110 or Ø160);
- what is above the tank (lawn, path, driveway or parking) and anything known about groundwater;
- the options you want priced: riser, hatch class, vent, alarm, straps;
- the delivery address and your municipality.
The form accepts attachments, so a site plan or a marked-up drawing can go with it; the site says Vesmaco usually replies within 2–3 days. The quote comes back with the matching drawing, on which you confirm the options and sign. Check how long the quote is valid, whether prices include VAT and whether delivery is included. A fuller preparation list is in Buying a sewage holding tank: 10 questions before requesting a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 5 m³ tank cost? Only a quote for your configuration can answer that. There are two 5 m³ models, MK-5 D1100 and MK-5 D1400, and the total depends on the riser, hatch, accessories and delivery you choose.
Is delivery included? Vesmaco delivers across Estonia. Ask whether delivery is included in the quoted price, or have it shown as a separate line for your address. Delivery is not installation: excavation and fitting are quoted by your installer.
Why do tanks of the same volume differ in price? Because volume is only one line on the order drawing: diameter family, riser, hatch class, vent, alarm, straps and delivery all change the total. Between suppliers, compare like for like, including documents and warranty, and check that the tank is sold as leak-tight: where wastewater is collected in a holding tank inside a sewage collection area (reoveekogumisala), or outside one without public sewerage, the Water Act § 124 requires the tank to be leak-tight (lekkekindel) (official English translation; only the Estonian text has legal force).
Get a price for your configuration. Send us the volume and inlet depth — we’ll return a quote with the matching drawing. Use the enquiry form, call +372 641 8550 or write to info@vesmaco.ee. Installation and emptying are not part of the quote, so hand the drawing and the installation guide to your installer.
Sources
- Vesmaco, reoveemahutid.ee — base kit, options, model table, enquiry form: https://reoveemahutid.ee/en/
- Vesmaco order drawing MK-5 D1400, rev. B, 15.08.2025 — option list (from the model table): https://reoveemahutid.ee/en/#mudelidjajoonised
- Vesmaco, installation guide for GRP underground tanks (PDF, in Estonian, 26.01.2016): https://reoveemahutid.ee/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/vesmaco-installation-tank-ee.pdf
- Smartel Tank-Check RF-431 manufacturer sheet (PDF): https://reoveemahutid.ee/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/smartel_a4_final_web_EE.pdf · more: https://smartel.vesmaco.eu
- Ministry of the Environment (2015), guide to planning, choosing, building and maintaining wastewater systems in sparsely populated areas (PDF, in Estonian; dated): https://kliimaministeerium.ee/sites/default/files/documents/2021-10/Juhendmaterjal%20hajaasustuse%20reoveek%C3%A4itluss%C3%BCsteemide%20kavandamiseks,%20valikuks,%20ehitamiseks%20ja%20hooldamiseks.pdf
- Building Code (Ehitusseadustik), Annexes 1 and 2, § 36, § 48 (in Estonian): https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/105032015001?leiaKehtiv · official English translation: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/510082026002/consolide
- Water Act (Veeseadus), § 104(7), § 124 (in Estonian): https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/122022019001?leiaKehtiv · official English translation: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/509092026003/consolide
- Keskkonnaamet handbook for municipal environmental specialists — a municipality may set a holding-tank kuja in its local rules (in Estonian): https://keskkonnaamet.ee/kasiraamat-kohaliku-omavalitsuse-keskkonnaspetsialistile/kanalisatsiooniehitiste-kuja
- Saaremaa vald, water and sewerage page — example of municipal commissioning requirements (in Estonian): https://www.saaremaavald.ee/vesi-ja-kanalisatsioon
The English translations on Riigi Teataja are for information only; only the Estonian text of an act has legal force.
Last checked: 17 September 2026