Your guests flush. You never see the tank.
Cottages, cabins and country rentals run on a septic tank in the yard. Leachline is the job board that gets it looked after between bookings. Based in Canada. Serving Canada and the US.
Two rooms under the lawn.
Wastewater flows from the house into a two-compartment tank. Solids stay behind. Clear effluent runs on to the distribution box and out through the leaching bed, where the soil finishes the job.
The sludge keeps rising.
Booking after booking, full houses add up. Past one-third full, solids wash into the leaching bed. A backup on a full weekend means refunds and bad reviews, and a new bed can cost tens of thousands.
So you post a job. A pro picks it up.
Posting is free. A vetted local pro picks up the job, the truck rolls up the lane between guests, and the hose goes down. With risers at grade there's no digging.
Twenty minutes later, it's empty.
The pro you hire through Leachline measures the layers, pumps both compartments, rinses the filter and checks the baffles. Then the septage goes somewhere most people never think about.
Now follow it underground.
Keep scrolling and the camera goes down the drain, through the tank and the leaching bed, then rides along to the treatment plant and the farm field where the sludge ends up.
Station 01 · Building drain · 0.8 m below grade
Every drain in the house ends up here.
Toilets, showers, sinks and laundry all join one 100 mm pipe that slopes gently down to the tank. Watch the water run. A cleanout at grade lets a pro clear this line without digging.
01 / 12 · Drain
- Pipe
- 100 mm (4 in) PVC or ABS
- Slope
- About 1 to 2%
- House to tank
- Usually under a minute
- Cleanout
- Capped riser at grade
How Leachline works
Post free. A vetted pro picks it up.
Leachline is a job board for rental hosts and septic pros. We don't pump, haul, inspect or install. We put your job in front of local pros whose documents we have checked.
Post
Describe the system, the job and the dates between guests. Posting is free.
Board
Your job goes on the board with the address hidden. Pros see the town or county only.
Pickup
A vetted pro in your region picks it up. Only then do they get your name, number and address.
Work
You and the pro agree the price. You pay the pro directly. The work fits your turnover window.
Log
The pro uploads the report to your property's service log. You both leave a review.
Station 02 · Septic tank · two compartments
The tank does the heavy lifting.
Heavy solids settle into sludge. Grease and light solids float as scum. Bacteria break down what they can in between. The specks drift down and the gas bubbles rise.
02 / 12 · Tank
- Common size
- 3,600 L (ON) or 1,000 US gal
- Water stays
- 1 to 2 days
- Pump it when
- Solids reach one-third
- Rentals
- Often every 1 to 3 years
For hosts · tank check
Check your tank
Rentals fill tanks faster than homes. Full houses, long weekends, and guests who don't know the rules. Try your numbers to see where your tank likely stands, then post a pump-out before the next booking.
1–3 yrcommon cycle for a busy rental
3,600 Lcommon tank size
⅓fill level that means pump now
Interactive tank check
Healthy
Your tank, in cross-section
Solids: 0% (0 L)
Pump at: 33%
Suggested cycle: –
Planning estimate only, at about 80 L (21 US gal) of solids per person per year of use. A pro measures the real layers.
Tank-safe or keep out?
The flush test
Guests don't know your tank. Bacteria in it break down waste. Some things kill them, some never break down, and some clog the leaching bed for good. Ten items. Take it, then print the answers for the guest binder.
Score 0 / 0
Item 1 of 10
Toilet paper
Pick one.
Station 03 · Outlet baffle and effluent filter
Only clear liquid gets out.
The outlet draws from the clear middle layer, and the filter catches anything that slips through. A clogged filter is one of the most common causes of slow drains in a busy rental.
03 / 12 · Outlet
- Draws from
- The clear middle layer
- Filter
- Rinsed at every pump-out
- Warning signs
- Gurgling, slow drains
- Never
- Remove the baffle
Job types on the board
Eight kinds of job
Pick the closest match when you post. Pros see the same labels, so the right truck shows up with the right gear.
Pump-out
Full pump-out of both compartments, with layer depths before and after.
Pro pickup fee $39Pump-out + filter and baffle check
The pump-out, plus rinsing the effluent filter and checking inlet and outlet baffles.
Pro pickup fee $39Inspection
For a rental licence, a permit or a sale. For example a Massachusetts Title 5 inspection or a township re-inspection program.
Pro pickup fee $59Camera and locate
No idea where the tank is? The pro traces the line and marks the lids for next time.
Pro pickup fee $39Riser install
Bring buried lids up to grade, so the next pump-out needs no digging on turnover day.
Pro pickup fee 8% of quote, max $250Holding-tank pump-outs
Scheduled pump-outs for a holding tank, set around your bookings.
Pro pickup fee $39 per pickupEmergency backup
Sewage in the house or an alarm going off. Flagged 24/7 to every vetted pro nearby.
Pro pickup fee $79Repair or replacement quote
Baffles, pumps, a failing bed or a full replacement. Compare up to 3 quotes.
Pro pickup fee 8% of accepted quote, max $250Hosts never pay to post. Pickup fees are paid by pros, in CAD.
Station 04 · Distribution box
The flow splits evenly.
A small concrete box sends equal amounts of effluent down each lateral, so no part of the bed gets overloaded.
04 / 12 · D-box
- Outlets
- One per lateral
- Must sit
- Dead level
- Enemy
- Frost heave and roots
- Checked
- On a full inspection
For hosts · free to post
Post a job
Build the job the way a pro will see it. Your name and address stay hidden until a vetted pro picks it up.
Live board · sample jobs
The board
This is what vetted pros browse. These are fictional sample jobs, so you can see how it works. Addresses never show on the board.
Members-only directory
Vetted pros, by region
Signed-in hosts and pros can browse pro profiles: services, regions, document check dates and verified-job reviews. Public visitors see regions only.
Sign in to browse vetted pros
Launch regions: Ontario cottage country, Quebec Laurentians and Eastern Townships, BC Okanagan and Gulf Islands, Cape Cod, the Smokies, Lake of the Ozarks, the Poconos, the Outer Banks, Michigan and Wisconsin lake country, and Lake Tahoe.
Station 05 · Leaching bed · laterals in clear stone
The soil finishes the job.
Effluent drips from perforated pipe into clean stone, then seeps down through unsaturated soil. The soil filters and treats it before it reaches groundwater.
05 / 12 · Leaching bed
- Pipe
- Perforated, 75 to 100 mm
- Bedding
- Washed clear stone
- Lifespan
- 20 to 30+ years with care
- Replacing it
- Often tens of thousands
For septic pros
Pick up jobs, not leads
Real jobs from rental hosts in your regions, with the system details up front. Your profile is free. You pay only when you pick up a job.
How pickup works
- Get vetted. Send your business, licence and insurance documents. We check them for your jurisdiction.
- Browse the board. See jobs in your regions: town or county, system, tank size, access and the turnover window.
- Ask, then pick up. Ask the host a question on the job. Routine jobs go first come. On repair jobs the host can compare up to 3 quotes.
- Get the details. When you pick up, you pay the pickup fee and get the host's name, phone and exact address.
- Do the work, file the report. Agree the price with the host. Upload layers, photos and the hauler receipt where required.
Pickup fees · CAD · test pricing
| Job type | Fee | Pro plan |
|---|---|---|
| Pump-out, holding-tank pump-out, camera and locate | $39 | $29.25 |
| Inspection (rental licence, permit or sale) | $59 | $44.25 |
| Emergency backup, 24/7 | $79 | $59.25 |
| Repair, replacement or riser install | 8% of accepted quote, max $250 | 6%, max $187.50 |
If the host cancels before the work, or the job details were materially wrong and you tell us within 72 hours, the fee comes back as account credit.
Pro plan
$99 / month, CAD
- 24-hour early access to new jobs in your regions
- 25% off every pickup fee
- Featured profile in the directory, labelled "Featured"
- Cancel any time. It ends at the close of the billing month.
What we check before you can pick up
- Business registration
- Commercial general liability insurance, with pollution cover where available, and the coverage dates
- Auto insurance for vacuum trucks
- Licence or registration for your jurisdiction where one exists. For example an Ontario hauled-sewage ECA or BCIN, Florida septic contractor registration, a Texas TCEQ OSSF licence, a Minnesota MPCA SSTS licence or Massachusetts Title 5 inspector approval
- Workers' compensation where required
We re-check every year and on each expiry date. Your badge reads "Licence and insurance documents checked on" a date. We check documents. We don't supervise or guarantee anyone's work.
Pricing · test pricing in CAD
Free for hosts to post
Prices are in CAD in Canada and USD in the US. Taxes are extra where they apply. Leachline never holds job money. Hosts pay the pro directly.
Hosts
Free
$0
- Post jobs for every property
- Address hidden until pickup
- Service reports in your property log
- Verified-job reviews
Hosts
Host Plus
$12 / property / month
- Pump-out reminders by property
- Service log and compliance file export
- Priority matching
- Guest-ready badge for your listing notes
Pros
Pro profile
$0
- Vetted profile in the directory
- Browse the board in your regions
- Pay a pickup fee only per job: $39, $59, $79, or 8% of an accepted quote up to $250
Pros
Pro plan
$99 / month
- 24-hour early access to new jobs
- 25% off pickup fees
- Featured profile, labelled as featured
Station 06 · Water table and well
This is what the rules protect.
Treated water joins the groundwater that feeds wells and lakes. Setbacks, soil depth and permits keep effluent out of the water your guests swim in and your neighbours drink.
06 / 12 · Water table
- Dry soil under bed
- At least 0.9 m (ON)
- Bed to drilled well
- 15 m or more (ON)
- Bed to lake or stream
- 15 m or more (ON)
- Permit from
- Municipality, county or health unit
Checked per jurisdiction
The rules pros work under
Septic work is regulated at several levels. National law covers the business. The province or state sets the technical rules and licences. Your municipality, county or health unit issues permits. Pick a country, then a province or state.
Federal (all provinces)
Provincial
Leachline checks each pro's documents for their jurisdiction before they can pick up jobs: business registration, liability insurance, and the licence or registration that province or state requires. We re-check every year and on expiry dates.
General information, not legal advice. Items marked "(verify)" still need checking against the source. Rules change. Confirm current requirements with the named regulator, your municipality or county, or a lawyer.
Station 07 · Concession road · bound for the plant
Then follow the sludge.
What the pro you hire through Leachline pumps out doesn't disappear. Their truck hauls it down the road to a licensed receiving station, and every load is logged.
07 / 12 · Road
- Truck tank
- About 13,600 L (3,600 US gal)
- Hauler licence
- ECA in Ontario, state or county permit in the US
- Paperwork
- Every load recorded
- A spill
- Reported to the regulator right away
En route · 0.0 km of 23 to the plant
Down the concession road.
Every load travels with a record of where it came from, how much there is and where it is going. Where the rules require one, the pro adds the hauler receipt to your service log.
Station 08 · Septage receiving station
First stop: the screens.
The truck hooks up at the receiving station. Bar screens pull out rags, wipes and plastics, and grit settles out before the septage joins the plant's flow.
08 / 12 · Receiving
- Hook-up
- Sealed hose connection
- Pulled out first
- Rags, wipes, plastics, grit
- Paid as
- A tipping fee by volume
- Why no wipes
- They jam screens and pumps
Station 09 · Aeration basins and clarifiers
Bacteria eat. Solids sink. Again.
In the aeration basins, blowers bubble air through the water so bacteria can digest what is left. In the round clarifiers, slow scraper arms sweep up the sludge that settles out.
09 / 12 · Treatment plant
- Aeration
- Air from blowers feeds bacteria
- Clarifiers
- Arms sweep sludge to the centre
- Clean water
- Disinfected, then released
- Released to
- A river, under permit
Station 10 · Anaerobic digesters
Sludge becomes biogas.
Settled sludge is heated in sealed tanks with no oxygen. Microbes break it down over a few weeks and give off methane-rich biogas that can heat the plant. Extra gas is flared.
10 / 12 · Digesters
- Temperature
- About 35 °C (95 °F)
- Time inside
- 15 to 30 days
- Biogas
- About 60% methane
- Left over
- Stabilized biosolids
Station 11 · Farm field · biosolids
And it ends up feeding a field.
Treated, tested biosolids are spread on farmland as fertilizer, under strict rules for metals, pathogens and timing. Your rental's sludge becomes next year's crop.
11 / 12 · Farm field
- Rules
- Nutrient Management Act (ON), 40 CFR 503 (US)
- Tested for
- Metals and pathogens
- Gives back
- Nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter
- Kept back from
- Wells and waterways
Heading home · golden hour
Back over the trees.
From your drain to a farm field, that's the whole loop. Your part is the easy one. Post the job before the tank is full, and put a "nothing but toilet paper" sign in every guest bathroom.
Station 12 · Back home · golden hour
See you in about four years.
Or sooner, for a busy rental. The report is in your property's service log, and the next reminder is already set.
Post your first job12 / 12 · Home
- Next pump-out
- In 1 to 4 years
- Your report
- In your service log
- Reminder
- With Host Plus
- Posting
- Free, in two minutes
Trust and safety · hosts and pros
How we protect your data
This is how the site is built. Some parts switch on at launch. Until then the site is a demo and sends nothing.
Address hidden until pickup
The board shows the town or county only. Your name, phone and exact address go to one pro: the one who picks up your job.
Encrypted connections
Every page and form uses HTTPS. Browsers are told to always use the secure connection for this site.
Locked records
The database checks every request with row-level security. An account can read and change only its own records. Fees and job status can't be changed from a browser.
Bot checks and limits
Cloudflare Turnstile screens forms for bots. We also limit how often a form can be sent and how often someone can try to sign in.
No card data stored
Pickup fees and plans are paid on Stripe's checkout page. Leachline never sees or stores card numbers.
Photos checked and cleaned
Only images are accepted, up to 5 MB each. Photos are resized on your device before upload, which removes hidden location data.
No website is risk-free. Found a security problem? Email [email protected]. Questions about your data: [email protected].
Hosts and pros ask
FAQ
Does Leachline pump my tank?
No. Leachline is a job board. Independent septic companies do the work. They hold the licences and permits, and they are responsible for the job. We check their documents before they can pick up jobs.
What does it cost a host?
Posting a job is free. You pay the pro directly, at the price you both agree. Host Plus is optional: $12 per property per month for reminders, a service log export and priority matching.
Who sees my address?
Nobody on the board. Pros see the town or county, the system and the job. Only the pro who picks up your job gets your name, phone and exact address, and only for that job.
How do you vet pros?
We check business registration, liability insurance, truck insurance, the licence or registration their province or state requires, and workers' comp where required. We re-check yearly and on expiry dates. We check documents. We don't supervise or guarantee the work.
Can the work fit between guests?
Yes. Add the check-out date and the next arrival when you post. Pros pick up jobs they can fit in that window. Backups and alarms can be flagged as 24/7 emergencies.
How often should a rental tank be pumped?
Busy rentals often need a pump-out every 1 to 3 years, sooner than a family home. It depends on tank size, guests per stay and nights booked. Try the tank check above. Some places set a schedule by law, so check your municipality or county.
I need an inspection for a rental licence or a sale.
Post an Inspection job and name the program, for example a Massachusetts Title 5 inspection or a township re-inspection. Pros who pick it up must hold the approval that program needs.
I'm a septic pro. What do I pay?
Your profile is free. You pay a pickup fee only when you pick up a job: $39 for a pump-out or locate, $59 for an inspection, $79 for an emergency, or 8% of an accepted repair or install quote up to $250. The Pro plan is $99 a month for early access and 25% off fees. CAD in Canada, USD in the US.
What if the job details were wrong?
Tell us within 72 hours of pickup. If the details were materially wrong, or the host cancels before the work, your pickup fee comes back as account credit.
Are the reviews real?
Only the host and the pro on a picked-up job can review each other. We don't sell reviews, pay for them or hide bad ones. Read the Review Policy in the footer.
Do you serve my area?
We serve Canada and the US only. We are starting in cottage and lake country on both sides of the border. You can post from anywhere in either country, and we'll tell you when vetted pros cover your region.
How do you protect my data?
Your address stays hidden until one pro picks up your job. The site only uses encrypted HTTPS connections. The database lets each account see only its own records. We ask for only what a job needs. Read more under Trust and safety.
Do you store my card details?
No. Payments go through Stripe's checkout page. Leachline gets a receipt and the last four digits, never the full card number.
Where does the septage go?
To a licensed receiving site, such as a municipal treatment plant. Where the rules require a hauler receipt, the pro uploads it to your service log.
For hosts · free
Post your first job
Tell us about the property and the job. Your details stay private until a vetted pro picks it up. Based in Canada. Serving Canada and the US.
1-888-555-0142
Head office: Ontario, Canada (placeholder)
Support Mon to Fri 8 am to 6 pm Eastern. Emergency jobs post 24/7.