CLEARMASTERS
Septic tanks and cesspits
We empty septic tanks and cesspits for homes, farms and holiday lets around Battle. We check the tank every time and tell you if anything needs attention, and we can book regular collections.
Learn moreBattle is the small town that grew up around the abbey built on the site of the 1066 battle. Today it’s surrounded by some of the quietest countryside in East Sussex, and many of the homes, farms and holiday lets in villages like Sedlescombe, Catsfield, Netherfield, Whatlington and Robertsbridge rely on septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants.
The eastern High Weald is clay and sandstone cut by steep, wooded valleys, with the Brede and Rother levels to the east. Drainage fields on the clay struggle in winter, and in the valley bottoms the ground can stay wet for months.
Our crews work in East Sussex most days and we answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our Battle drainage and waste services
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Septic Tank & Cesspit Emptying
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Treatment Plant Servicing
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Septic Tank Surveys
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Treatment Plant & Pump Repairs
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Blocked Drains & CCTV Surveys
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Treatment Plant Installations
Learn moreCovering Battle
& villages
& villages
24/7
call-outs
call-outs
Homes &
businesses
businesses
Waste transfer
notes
notes
Own tanker
fleet
fleet
What we do for Battle customers
Treatment plant servicing and repairs
Our engineers service treatment plants at least once a year, carry the most common parts and repair them when an alarm goes off or they stop working.
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Surveys for buyers
Buying a cottage or farmhouse around Battle with its own drainage? A septic tank survey tells you what you’re taking on and whether it meets the General Binding Rules.
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Drain clearance
We clear blocked drains at homes and businesses in Battle and the villages, and survey them with CCTV when they keep blocking.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Drainage around Battle: what to know
Wooded valleys, clay and wet levels.
Clay and sandstone
The High Weald here is a patchwork of clay and sandstone. Drainage fields on clay often struggle in winter.
The levels
Low land along the Brede and Rother stays wet for long periods, which affects soakaways and drainage fields.
Holiday lets
Plenty of homes here are let to visitors. We can time services and emptying between bookings.
Local to you
Areas we cover in and around Battle
We cover Battle and the villages of the eastern High Weald.
Battle · town and nearby
- Battle
- Telham
- Netherfield
- Whatlington
- Catsfield
Surrounding villages · where private drainage is common
- Sedlescombe
- Robertsbridge
- Mountfield
- Staplecross
- Ewhurst Green
- Brede
- Westfield
- Crowhurst
- Ninfield
- Penhurst
- Salehurst
- Cripps Corner
Not sure if we cover you?
If you’re in or around Battle, we cover you. Call with your postcode and we’ll give you a date.
Nearby areas
Why Battle customers use us
Careful work on country systems
Whether it’s a cesspit at a farm near Brede or a treatment plant in Sedlescombe, here’s what you get.
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34 years in drainage
We’ve been emptying tanks and servicing systems since long before most of the kit on the market existed.
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Trained engineers
Our engineers and most of our tanker drivers hold current confined space entry certificates, and the engineers carry the most common parts.
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Paperwork done properly
A waste transfer note with every collection, and a written report after surveys and services.
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We remember so you don’t have to
Regular customers get a reminder when their next empty or service is due.
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The right kit for the job
Tankers from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons, jet/vac combination units, CCTV survey kit and confined space teams for pump station wet wells.
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Day and night, all year
Emergency call-outs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a real person answering the phone.
What our customers say
9.84/10
Checkatrade
From 134 reviews · Read them
4.9/5
From 63 reviews · Read them
Scores as of September 2026
★★★★★Efficient, courteous, customer-facing. Would not hesitate to recommend to others.
Jonathan O. Google review
★★★★★I've used Clearmasters for at least 10 years and always find them reliable, helpful, knowledgable and great at what is a really unpleasant job! I won't use anyone else.
★★★★★I have used Clearmasters now for 4 years and the service has been excellent. Very punctual on the day and their planning team have always been very helpful in finding convenient dates to service and maintain our pumps and tanks. I recommend.
How it works
What happens when you book
Simple and the same every time.
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Step 1
Tell us what you’ve got
Call us or book online and tell us what system you have. For holiday lets, tell us when the property is empty.
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Step 2
We come out and do the job
We book a date and send the right tanker or engineer. It helps if:
- you warn us about narrow, sunken lanes or a steep drive
- tank lids and covers are uncovered, not hidden under turf or planting
- gates are open or we have the code, and livestock or dogs are kept away
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Step 3
Paperwork and the next visit
You get a waste transfer note for anything we take away, and a written report after a survey or service. If it’s a regular job, we’ll remind you when the next one is due.
Free, no-obligation quote
Get a quote for your Battle property
Tell us what you need and we’ll come back with a price. If something’s overflowing, call us now.
- Free quotes for emptying, servicing and surveys
- Septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants
- Visits timed around holiday lets
Urgent?
03333 233566
Questions answered
Battle septic tank FAQs
What homeowners and holiday-let owners around Battle ask us most.
Can you service our holiday let’s treatment plant between guests?
Yes. Tell us your changeover days and we’ll fit the visit in when the property is empty.
I’m buying a cottage near Battle with a septic tank. What should I check?
Ask what type of system it is, where it discharges and when it was last emptied. A survey before you exchange answers all of that.
Why does my drainage field fail in winter?
On the clay or in the wet valley bottoms around Battle, the ground fills with water in winter and the field can’t drain. Regular emptying helps; sometimes the field needs replacing.
How often should a septic tank be emptied?
For most households, about once a year. We’ll suggest a schedule after the first visit.
Do you cover Robertsbridge and Staplecross?
Yes. We cover Battle and all the villages around it.
Can you help in an emergency?
Yes. Our crews work in East Sussex most days and we answer the phone 24 hours a day. Call 03333 233566.
Got a different question? Call 03333 233566 or send us a message.
Fully accredited & compliant
We're independently vetted and certified so you can trust who you're letting onto your site.
SafeContractor
Health & safety pre-qualification accreditation, verifying our processes meet recognised safety standards.
RISQS
Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme — approved to work safely within the rail industry supply chain.
Achilles UVDB
Utilities Vetting Database membership, confirming we meet the utilities sector's supply chain standards.
Trading Standards Approved
Vetted and approved under the local authority's trusted trader scheme for honesty and fair dealing.
NADC Member
Members of the National Association of Drainage Contractors, the UK trade body for the drainage industry.
Registered Waste Carrier
Registered with the Environment Agency, so your waste is handled and disposed of fully within the law.