They recently put in a communal drainage system here and a friend was surprised to receive a bill for the use of the system when he had not even got round to being connected to it. It appears that, if it is available, you pay for use of such a system, whether you are connected or not, provided it is possible for you to connect to it.
About 6 years ago we had an inspection which comprised in the young lady poking a stick into two holes to the rear of our property and were told that the house and gite fosse's were non-compliant - as we could not find the one behind the gite this was surprising! - but working. We were than told that there would be a meeting at the mairie because they would have to decide whether to put in a commune system or get everyone to upgrade - there are 32 people in our commune. We are still waiting for the meeting to take place and have had no more contact with whatever organisations are dealing with this. Back then there were various grants available and if you are on a low income, retired, etc. you pay very little. What the situation is now I don't know.
I have read about this need to replace sand/gravel filters before. Could you please enlighten me and let me know:-
Who decides when a sand/gravel filter needs replacing?
Who checks whether a sand/gravel filter needs replacing and how often would it need to be checked?
Is there a "law" that states that this needs to be done, does SPANC check every filter system or is it just good practice?
The comment above about a micro station being unsuitable for a maison secondaire highlights the problem of an electrical supply and a pump being needed to make this kind of system work 24/7 - in a house which has only occasional occupancy this could obviously be a problem.
The new new Compact systems by Eparco do not require any power supply to operate correctly and the one I have requires maintenance at only 15 year intervals for 2 person occupancy!
The effluent can be discharged into a communal ditch for which the Marie needs to be consulted or alternatively can be piped to irrigate areas of planting etc on your own property. In a system working correctly there is no risk of pollution.
The SPANC representative for each area needs to be up to date with the systems available. I would be happy to advise anyone who cares to ring.
0553 24 28 13
Klargester are represented in France and also euro approved - check
For more info on WPL micro-stations d'épuration see www.micro-station-france.com
Arti Construction SARL
Calavret
Noyal Pontivy
56920
FRANCE
Tel: +33 297 08 21 95
Fax: +33 297 38 20 67
I say its worth looking into as Martyn has so little space.
I have used them before and they are a very good solution.
Sand filters need a large area of land and need to be replaced in time - which is why the new compact systems are the way to go.
Klargester as used extensively in UK & elsewhere as recommended above are not generally available in France.
You need to have an approved system - the approval process is bad enough without complicating things further.
Existing owners have 4 years to bring their system up to date as said above - new owners have 1 year but of course a non compliant system could deter potential buyers and /or effect the selling price - although this may be the best alternative.
Hello Martyn - I wouldn't say I had a deep understanding on the subject but I can tell you my experience. I am not sure that all SPANC officials interpret things in the same way. I am in a similar position to you in that we want to sell our house to return to the UK. Currently I have an internal fosse (yes inside the house) and no one knows where it discharges. So to be sure I asked the local 'responsable' to come and look. She confirms it is no longer legal but says I don't have to do anything and it is a buyer who has one year to sort it out. However that is not very satisfactory for someone buying the house. (It is an old Rectory about 400 years old.) Like you I have too small a garden to put in a full sand filter as required and what is more the village is built mainly on rock. She said I could put in one of these 'patent' small cheaper mechanical plants BUT not if it was going to be a 'maison secondaire'. A maison secondaire must have a full fosse and filter (she said). So as I have no idea who is going to buy it I said I supposed I had to but in a full 3000 l fosse and sand filter but as I was on rock with insufficient land what could she suggest. She couldn't suggest any solution so I am stymied. And I am now getting an annual bill for the discharge wherever it is! I spoke to my maire and she said 'do nothing'. Not much help to anyone.
Hi Martyn.
The UK system called BioDisc (from Klargester) will dothe job, although the French will probably limit you to one of their systems - the outgoing water is clear and can be discharged - legally - into a water course. The power for the rotating discs is minimal (50W) and it is possible to have a battery back up if need be. Sounds like Glen's advice is the one for you as it is a similar device.
Hi Glenn
Where are you based?
Thanks
Val
Hi martyn,
As a Chartered Surveyor carrying out surveys for buyers I come across this problem more and more and having recently also bought a new house which needed a new Fosse I have purchased a new "Compact" system from EPARCO - Google it & you will see the details. Mine cost 9000 Euros. They are for restricted areas and are very efficient with minimal maintenance.
A Micro system requires a pump & electrical supply to it which can be a problem in the event of power or pump failure and the overall purchase cost is similar.
Let us all know how you get on.
Like yourself we have little external space and so have opted for a Neve Topaze T5, which is very compact at 1.04 x 1.14 x 2.315mtr tall and can discharge straight into the local water course or, as in our case, into the nearby ditch; no prob. Just a suggestion; hope it helps. www.neve.fr
Isn't the Canal polluted enough already!!?
You could try finding someone here, Martyn. http://www.trouverunartisan.fr/artisans/fosses-septiques/aude/