Fosse
septiques
In
many areas of France, especially in the countryside where mains
drainage is not available, sewage has to be treated on site using
a Fosse
Septique (Septic
Tank), or similar treatment plant. In recent years more and more
responsibility for overseeing and regulating old and new waste water
installations has been handed over to the to the local communes, i.e.
the Marie.
The
law stipulates that all household waste liquids have to be processed
in the correct manner, by means of a Fosse
Toutes Eaux (a
septic tank that accepts all waste waters) and filtration system.
Many
communes across France have created their own professional body to
enforce the law. This is commonly known as Service Public
d’Assainissement Non Collectif, but popularly known as SPANC.
Before
a compromis de vente (CDV) or sales agreement can be signed, a fosse
report has to be provided to the buyer.
Therefore, Allez-Français as a company, strongly advises all sellers
to arrange for all
diagnostic reports to be done as soon as the property is marketed.
In
the event of non-conformity, you will have 4 years to rectify any
problems with your fosse septique, or the incoming buyers will have
12 months. So this is an important part
of the sale agreement.
There
are 4 stages in the typical process :
1st
stage (Collection): Collection
of all household waste water and matter from the kitchen, bathroom
and WC. If the fosse
septique is
sited more than 10 metres from the kitchen, the bathroom, and
particularly the kitchen waste, should / must first pass though a
Grease Trap.
2nd
Stage (Pre-treatment): All
waste must then flow directly into the septic tank where separation
of the solid matter takes place and the treatment begins. About 30%
of the waste (sludge lying on the bottom of the tank, scum floating
on the top and the liquid effluent) is actively consumed by bacteria.
When the effluent leaves the tank it first passes through a
'pre-filter' which captures much of the remaining suspended matter.
3rd
Stage (Treatment): The
effluent now passes through a sand filter bed, or land drain, where
further treatment takes place, removing many more waste and toxic
particles.
4th
Stage (Evacuation): The
treated liquid is then either allowed to soak away into the soil or
siphoned off.
If
you are installing a new system, the appropriate permission has to be
obtained. Roughly every 4 years, your Marie is obliged to make sure
your fosse is checked and functioning in the correct manner. They
will provide you with a report confirming conformity or non
conformity. If non-conforming, they will make suitable
recommendations to upgrade your system.
Within
the intervening period, when you have your fosse emptied by a
licensed waste collector do make sure you retain your receipt as
proof. But do not confuse this with a certificate of conformity,
because that it certainly is not.
Just
as an aside, SPANC are just a government advisory service and have no
powers to force you to do anything, if you do not follow their advice
after 12 months they will ask you to pay a penalty of the equivalent
amount to be connected to mains drainage, but they cannot force you
to change your fosse. Having said that, achieving regulatory
compliance is absolutely key when selling the property and the
mandatory diagnostic reports are a legal requirement before any
preliminary sale / purchase contract can be signed, (despite the fact
that some agents do this). Because the buyer has just one year in
which to meet compliant standards, they will usually seek to 'adjust'
their purchase price / offer in order to reflect the potential cost
of implementation.
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