Septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants emptied, serviced and repaired in Crowborough and the villages around Ashdown Forest.
Crowborough is the largest inland town in East Sussex, sitting high on the edge of Ashdown Forest in the High Weald. The town is on mains drainage, but the countryside around it, from Rotherfield and Mark Cross to Hartfield, Withyham and Nutley, is full of homes, farms and estates on septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants.
High Weald ground is a mix of sandstone and clay. Where it’s sandy, drainage fields usually cope; where it’s clay, they struggle every winter. Lanes are often narrow and sunken, and many cottages sit well below the road, so getting the right tanker to the right place is a big part of the job.
Our crews work in East Sussex most days, Crowborough is only a short run from our yard in Copthorne, and we answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We empty septic tanks and cesspits for homes, farms and estates around Crowborough, choosing a tanker that suits your lane. While we’re there we check the tank and outlet and tell you if anything needs attention.
Learn more
Plenty of homes around the forest swapped an old tank for a treatment plant years ago and haven’t had it looked at since. Our engineers check the air blower, diffusers and sludge level, sort out anything worn, and write down what they found so you know where you stand.
Learn more
A beeping control box at the bottom of the garden is the classic sign. It might be a seized blower, a burnt-out pump or a float stuck in the up position. We carry the parts that fail most often, so plenty of call-outs end with the plant running again the same day.
Learn more
Weald cottages change hands with drainage nobody fully understands. Before you exchange, we’ll find the tank, look inside it, trace where it drains and tell you plainly whether it meets the rules or will need work.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Forest, sandstone and clay in the High Weald.
Most of the countryside around Crowborough is protected. Planning for new or replacement drainage can take longer.
Sandy ground drains well; Weald clay doesn’t. Two neighbouring properties can have very different drainage.
Homes on the forest edge often have long, narrow access. Tell us about it when you book.
Local to you
We cover Crowborough and the villages around Ashdown Forest.
Crowborough · town and nearby
Surrounding villages · where private drainage is common
If you’re in or around Crowborough, we cover you. Call with your postcode and we’ll give you a date.
Why Crowborough customers use us
Whether it’s a cesspit near Hartfield or a treatment plant in Rotherfield, here’s what you get.
We’ve been emptying tanks and servicing systems since long before most of the kit on the market existed.
Tankers from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons, jet/vac combination units, CCTV survey kit and confined space teams for pump station wet wells.
Crowborough is a short run from our Copthorne yard, so we’re working round here most weeks.
Our engineers and most of our tanker drivers hold current confined space entry certificates, and the engineers carry the most common parts.
Emergency call-outs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a real person answering the phone.
Tanks, treatment plants, pump stations, grease traps and drains, all handled by one team.
Checkatrade
From 134 reviews · Read them
From 63 reviews · Read them
Scores as of September 2026
★★★★★They were able to come to clean out my septic tank in a short timeframe. They were careful about not damaging the plants in the area around the septic tank and the technician was polite and helpful. Thank you for your help.
Checkatrade review Checkatrade · TN22
★★★★★Our family have been using Clearmasters for years and are the only choice as far as we are concerned! All the staff are friendly, helpful and accommodating. Couldn’t recommend them highly enough!
★★★★★I have used Clearmasters for years. They are always on time, polite and reliable whether your need them to empty your septic tank or undertake maintenance work. I wouldn’t use anyone else. Local and the best.
How it works
Simple and the same every time.
Step 1
Call us or book online and tell us what system you have and how to reach it. If you know when it was last emptied or serviced, tell us that too.
Step 2
We book a date and send the right tanker or engineer. It helps if:
Step 3
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
Tell us what you need and we’ll come back with a price. If something’s overflowing, call us now.
Questions answered
What homeowners around Crowborough ask us most.
Usually. We have tankers in different sizes and long hoses. Tell us about the lane and where the tank is, and we’ll plan the right vehicle.
High Weald ground changes from sandstone to clay over short distances. A field on sand drains; one on clay can be waterlogged all winter.
Sometimes, especially in the High Weald National Landscape. The new system must also meet the Environment Agency’s rules. Check with Wealden District Council before work starts.
Usually not. We’ll check it over, replace anything worn and tell you honestly if it’s reached the end of its life.
Yes. We cover Groombridge, Eridge and the villages either side of the border, and our Kent pages cover Tunbridge Wells and beyond.
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.
We're independently vetted and certified so you can trust who you're letting onto your site.
Health & safety pre-qualification accreditation, verifying our processes meet recognised safety standards.
Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme — approved to work safely within the rail industry supply chain.
Utilities Vetting Database membership, confirming we meet the utilities sector's supply chain standards.
Vetted and approved under the local authority's trusted trader scheme for honesty and fair dealing.
Members of the National Association of Drainage Contractors, the UK trade body for the drainage industry.
Registered with the Environment Agency, so your waste is handled and disposed of fully within the law.
Keep the site, forms and online booking working, and protect them from spam.
Google Analytics: counts visits and shows us which pages are useful, so we can improve the site.
Meta (Facebook) pixel: measures our Facebook adverts and shows our adverts to people who've visited our site.
CLEARMASTERS