CLEARMASTERS
Blocked drains in student lets and old houses
Shared houses and old terraces mean frequent blockages. We clear them with high-pressure jetting, tell you what caused them and help landlords work out who’s responsible.
Learn moreCanterbury is a busy cathedral city with three universities, a packed centre of restaurants and bars, and streets of old houses, many now let to students. It’s on mains drainage, so in the city our work is blocked drains, CCTV surveys for landlords, and grease traps for the food trade.
Around the city, villages like Bridge, Chartham, Littlebourne, Wickhambreaux, Petham and Barham have many homes and farms on septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants. The Great Stour flows through Canterbury to the protected Stodmarsh wetlands, where high nutrient levels mean new homes here have to be nutrient neutral.
Our crews work in Kent most days and we answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our Canterbury drainage and waste services
View all services
Blocked Drains & CCTV Surveys
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Grease Traps & Commercial Waste
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Septic Tank Surveys
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Septic Tank & Cesspit Emptying
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Treatment Plant Servicing
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Treatment Plant Installations
Learn moreCovering Canterbury
& villages
& villages
24/7
call-outs
call-outs
Homes &
businesses
businesses
Waste transfer
notes
notes
Own tanker
fleet
fleet
What we do for Canterbury customers
Grease traps for restaurants and bars
The city centre’s restaurants, cafés and bars need their grease traps emptied regularly. We set up a schedule and leave a waste transfer note every time.
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Septic tanks in the Stour villages
We empty septic tanks and cesspits for homes and farms around Canterbury, checking the tank and outlet while we’re there.
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Treatment plants in the Stour catchment
Treatment plants near the Stour need to work properly to protect the river and Stodmarsh. Our engineers service them at least once a year and leave a written report.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Drainage around Canterbury: what to know
An old city on a protected river.
Stodmarsh and nutrients
New homes in the Stour catchment need to be nutrient neutral, which affects new treatment plants.
Student lets
Shared houses see a lot of blockages. Clear records help landlords sort them out quickly.
Chalk downs
Villages on the downs south of the city are on chalk, which supplies drinking water. Tanks must work properly.
Local to you
Areas we cover in and around Canterbury
We cover Canterbury and the villages around it.
Canterbury · city and nearby
- Canterbury
- Sturry
- Hales Place
- Thanington
- Harbledown
- Wincheap
Surrounding villages · where private drainage is common
- Bridge
- Chartham
- Littlebourne
- Wickhambreaux
- Fordwich
- Blean
- Barham
- Bekesbourne
- Petham
- Chilham
- Wingham
- Ickham
Not sure if we cover you?
If you’re in or around Canterbury, we cover you. Call with your postcode and we’ll confirm.
Nearby areas
Why Canterbury customers use us
City drains and village tanks
Whether it’s a blocked drain in a student house or a cesspit in Petham, here’s what you can expect.
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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.
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One call for everything
Tanks, treatment plants, pump stations, grease traps and drains, all handled by one team.
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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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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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We remember so you don’t have to
Regular customers get a reminder when their next empty or service is due.
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
★★★★★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.
Nina C. Google review
★★★★★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.
★★★★★Very professional operation. Super clean tanker. Responded quickly to quote and booking requests. Arrived on time. Kept us notified throughout. Very pleasant and helpful guy operating the equipment. Gave sound advice with ongoing maintenance tips. Will definitely be saving Clearmasters' contact details to use them again.
How it works
What happens when you book
The same simple process for every job.
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Step 1
Tell us what you’ve got
Call us or book online and tell us what’s happening. Landlords: let us know how to access the property.
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Step 2
We come out and do the job
We send the right van, tanker or engineer. It helps if:
- there’s room to park a tanker close to the tank, trap or manhole
- lids, covers and hatches are clear and easy to find
- you tell us about narrow access, gates or site rules before we arrive
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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 Canterbury property
Tell us what you need and we’ll come back with a price. If something’s overflowing, call us now.
- Free quotes for drains, grease traps and tanks
- Reports for landlords and agents
- Septic tanks and treatment plants in the villages
Urgent?
03333 233566
Questions answered
Canterbury drainage FAQs
What landlords, businesses and homeowners around Canterbury ask us most.
Our student house drains keep blocking. What can we do?
Usually it’s wipes, fat or food waste. We’ll clear it and tell you what we found. If it keeps happening, a CCTV survey will show if there’s a defect.
What does nutrient neutrality mean near Canterbury?
New homes in the Stour catchment must show they won’t add nutrients to Stodmarsh. If you’re building off the mains, it affects your treatment plant choice.
Do you empty septic tanks in Bridge and Chartham?
Yes. Many homes and farms in the villages around Canterbury are off the mains, and we empty and service their systems.
How often should a restaurant grease trap be emptied?
It depends on the trap’s size and how busy you are. We’ll suggest a schedule.
Can you provide reports for landlords?
Yes. After a CCTV survey you get a written report with photos you can keep on file.
Can you come out at night?
Yes. We answer the phone 24 hours a day. Call 03333 233566 and we’ll tell you when we can be there.
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.