Tank emptying, treatment plant and pump station servicing and drain clearance for homes, holiday sites and businesses in Selsey and across the Manhood Peninsula.
Selsey sits at the tip of the Manhood Peninsula, with the sea on three sides and some of the lowest, flattest land in Sussex behind it. That shapes almost everything about drainage here. The water table is high, drains have very little fall, and in a wet winter the ground can be saturated for weeks.
Out on the peninsula, in and around Sidlesham, Earnley, Almodington, Birdham and the Witterings, many homes, farms and nurseries aren’t on the mains and rely on septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants. Holiday parks and caravan sites often have their own pump stations or treatment plants too, and they need to keep working through the busy season.
We empty and service all of them, clear and survey drains, and can pump out flood water when the ground can’t take any more. Our tankers cover Selsey from our yard in Copthorne, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We empty septic tanks and cesspits across the Manhood Peninsula with tankers of 2,000 to 4,000 gallons. With a high water table, drainage fields here often struggle in winter, so it makes sense to have the tank emptied before the wet weather arrives. For cesspits, we can book regular collections so they never get close to full.
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Treatment plants on the peninsula need regular servicing to keep them treating properly, particularly where the treated water goes into a ditch that drains to the harbour or the sea. Our engineers service all the common makes, carry the most common parts, and repair blowers, pumps and diffusers.
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On land this flat, gravity doesn’t get sewage very far, so pump stations are common, from single homes to holiday parks. We service and repair them, test the pumps, floats and alarms, and clean out the wet well. If one fails in the middle of the season, call us day or night.
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When heavy rain, high groundwater or a failed pump floods a chamber, basement or low-lying site, our tankers can pump the water out and take it away. We can then jet and survey the drains, and service the pump station, to stop it happening again.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Low, flat land surrounded by sea makes drainage on the peninsula a special case.
Groundwater sits close to the surface for much of the winter. Drainage fields and soakaways need careful design, and some sites need a different solution altogether.
With so little fall, many homes and sites rely on a pump station. Servicing it before the summer season saves a lot of trouble.
Pagham Harbour and Chichester Harbour are both protected. A treatment plant that’s working properly keeps what reaches them clean.
Local to you
From Selsey itself to the villages, nurseries and holiday parks of the Manhood Peninsula, we cover the whole area.
Selsey · town and nearby
Manhood Peninsula · where septic tanks, cesspits and pump stations are common
If you’re anywhere on the peninsula, the answer is yes. Call with your postcode and we’ll confirm.
Why Selsey customers use us
Whether it’s a cesspit near Sidlesham, a treatment plant in the Witterings or a pump station at a holiday park, here’s what you can expect.
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.
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.
A waste transfer note with every collection, and a written report after surveys and services.
Regular customers get a reminder when their next empty or service is due.
Checkatrade
From 134 reviews · Read them
From 63 reviews · Read them
Scores as of September 2026
★★★★★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.
Adam G. Google review
★★★★★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.
★★★★★Clearmasters have emptied our Septic Tank for many years. It is not an easy placed tank to get to but the chaps manage perfectly. I find them very efficient, friendly and polite. Thank you Valerie Wise
How it works
The same simple process whether it’s a regular empty, a service or an emergency.
Step 1
Call us or book online and tell us what you have. For holiday parks and businesses, let us know about busy periods and who to ask for on site.
Step 2
We send the right size tanker or a service van. 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
Regular emptying, a service contract or a one-off job, tell us what you need and we’ll come back with a price. If something’s overflowing, call us now instead.
Questions answered
The questions we’re asked most often by homeowners, landlords and businesses in and around Selsey.
On the peninsula, groundwater rises close to the surface in winter and the drainage field can’t get rid of any more water. Emptying the tank before and during the wet months helps. If it happens every year, the drainage field may need redesigning for the conditions.
For most homes, about once a year. If your drainage field is under pressure from a high water table, more often through the winter can help.
Yes. We service and repair pump stations of all sizes, and can arrange visits before and during the season so everything is working when the site is busy.
No. Under the Environment Agency’s General Binding Rules, septic tanks must not discharge straight to surface water. Those that did had to be upgraded by 1 January 2020, usually to a treatment plant. A septic tank survey will confirm where yours goes.
Yes. Our tankers can remove flood water and groundwater from chambers, basements, car parks and low-lying areas, and take it away for disposal.
Our tankers are based in Copthorne and cover the whole of West Sussex. For emergencies, call 03333 233566 and we’ll tell you honestly when we can be there. Routine emptying and servicing is booked in advance at a time that suits you.
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.
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