Quite so Peter,
SPANC need to identify what the property needs to have, to comply with regs and using whatever facilities (land or not) are available.
I’ve heard good reports of micro stations.
I’m not sure about the ‘35m’ rule, we had a new fosse installed in 2011 and it is not that distance from our well and nor is the old fosse.
Sorry Paul but this 35m thing is simply not correct. A friend of mine in our village is having a new waste water system installed. A survey has been done, approval obtained from the local authorities, and work is scheduled to commence, and the new tank is going to be about 3m from the well. There are specific systems and equipment these days that allow the old rules to be overcome. I respectfully suggest that you have a survey done by a competent expert firm.
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SPANC will cntact you.
All septic tanks are examined regularly, at your expense, so bite the bullet now.
If you are worried why not consult one of the many firms that install micro-stations etc?
I have no idea why you are worried about contacting the Mairie or SPANC.
Have you already had an ultimatum which you have not been able to fulfil? Even so, no need to worry.
As I have said, the property will need a recent SPANC Report in order to Sell - it’s one of the documents needed for the dossier which the Notaire puts together for the Buyer.
The 35m rule is applied/looked-at, when the Well is used for drinking water - unless it can be shown that the Method chosen will NOT pollute the Well.
There are various modern methods which can be used in a situation where there is a Well used for drinking and little/no land - so your place should be no problem.
But, I have found NO support for your theory that the neighbour can be “forced” to accept your pipework.
Is there a Servitude for that marked on the Deeds of your property?
Keep cheerful, all will come right in the end… 
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I think the 35m rule only relates to when you want to use well water in the house. When we bought our house, the kitchen taps and toilets were supplied by the well - when we installed our new septic tank it’s closer than 35m so we could no longer use the well water to supply the taps and toilets so we removed the pump and connected to the mains water.
Well that sums it up, I think the mains supply is to much to connect so will continue to use well , just not drink it, I never did anyway. Thanks for the help.
Whereabouts is the Main Supply? Are you saying the connection costs are too much … or that it is too far away ???
Why not simply ‘cap’, cover, or fill in the Well ?.
IF you’re saying it’s your only water source, I would have thought that would be a bigger deterrent to potential buyers.
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Top man Tony! Especially as you have to declare a well so they can tax you for it.
So I end up paying to connect to the mains and then have a yearly charge for water rates, when I have no charges at the moment, I prefer to use the water as no drinkable as water rates are quite high in France and the connection would be 5k.or about that .
Fair comment, Paul.
However, is Mains Drinking Water a viable option for would-be Buyers?
In other words - where is the nearest Mains Drinking Water to which you could connect?
-Please tell me it is NOT across your neighbour’s land.
5k is minimal compared to the cost and near impossibility of a conforming fosse.
Water is very low cost and a damn sight safer than who knows what is in the well water throughout the year. I would see mains water as an asset and attractive to purchasing a home.
In Wales, estate agents would put in their write-up, “Free, fresh, never failing private water supply.” which was code for NO MAINS WATER!
But you could try advertising in journals favoured by environmentalists, who would be happy to install a composting toilet.
These are often regarded with suspiciom, but those who have them always tell me that they are no problem.
Not good if you are not there 100% of the time.
Lol probably never checked
Everyone seems to just throw money into properties that aren’t worth anything anyway, Rural France is full of vacant old properties barely worth the price of connecting to water, let alone sewage systems. I think environmental legislation is making historic buildings in France worthless, and I have one . Keep spending connecting to mains sewage after your 10k septic will probably be another 20k by 2022.
If you are seriously wanting to Sell, the more info you have to hand the better.
From my own experience as a would-be buyer - it is very off-putting when asking questions about serious matters, only to get the shrugging of the shoulders and rolling eyes.
Not that I am saying you do any of that, but I am sure you get the idea.
It’s the same as a soak away, I think the nearest they will except is a filtering reed bed even thats debatable, s that accumulates ecoli