financial assistance for fosse?

[Helen888]

Is such a thing available? I was just wondering; as our house is a renovation project needing it's first fosse we have to arrange for a technician (the commune have details of who to use on the fosse application form) to come and do all the usual checks and it's really expensive. 250 euros for first visit, 250 to check installation after the work has been done and 50 euros for each consecutive visit if we don't get it right first time . I know rules between different departments vary hugely but, in the commune we have moved from (same department) there is no cost at all for the technician to visit at present time - some people are even allowed to carry out vatious tests themselves (eg digging holes and monitoring drainage rates over a set period of hours). So, the cost of the new fosse is ever increasing...i wondered how people of low incomes (or even a reasonable income!) foot the bill for their fosse's considering the 2005 regs. Lots of our French friends still have a natural French soakaway system (ie no fosse at all). I wondered if there is any help available ... ?

[Val_2]

All you can do is ask at the local mairie,bit would probably be means tested like other assistance here. Here we have no finance available for assistance at all as the commune coffers just won't carry it and if one wants it,every other person with an iffy system will want it too. I think in the end all the costs will have to be borne by the householder because of this problem with money here.

[Miki]

Agree with Val.

I mentioned a while ago that the meeting we attended about the new laws almost collapsed in utter chaos. M le Maire was being given a torrid time, rather unfairly to be honest but the bottom line, was that there was absolutely no subventions (grants, assistance) available.

Any money that had been available had run out and any communes left in the 35 that had not taken any action, would find that there was nothing left in the coffers !!

 

 

[Catswhiskas]

What a nightmare! I might be crossing wires here but do you really have to do all that technician stuff? Whereabouts are you?

I simply went to the local mairie and found out what colour code I came under which they looked up on a map. This then translated into a spec leaflet telling you what kind of a fosse you needed. I had to have a slightly different system where the filtering system was condensed into a square area rather than long trenches because my land is sloping and fairly near a stream. The chap who quoted for the work (whose name was recommended by someone locally who he had put a fosse in for) then looked at the leaflet, went away and came back with a price. He did the work and a chap from the commune came out and checked it out afterwards, well actually dropped in when passing. I rather got the impression no-one had informed him and they were supposed to have but he didn't seem bothered and knew the chap who was doing the work. I signed a piece of paper and he went away again.

THis is the first fosse sytem put in here and I certainly didn't have to pay for any technical reports etc.

Hope this helps. I know it doesn't answer the subsidy question but perhaps queries the need for tech. costs?

Charlotte

[gjp23]

I'm not sure about the availability of subsidies here but I can say that, under the new regulations (came in sometime last year I believe), there are a limited number of accredited installers, who can only install against an installation specification produced by an accredited soil engineer (can you see the bureaucracy here.....).   A soil test must be done in order to determine the type of installation required and the soil engineer's report and installation recommendations must be approved before an installer gets involved.

In the South West (Lote et Garonne), the accredited engineer I used was a company called SOLEN, whose total charges amounted to something around 530 €.  The only other money I paid out was to the installer.  The installer is also responsible for arranging for inspection visits (already paid for in the 530 €) at appropriate times in the installation (ratehr like building control visits in the UK when doing building work).

Expect to pay, typically, between 3000 and 6000 € depending on ground type (e.g. clay is more expensive than sand) and size of installation.

Good luck.

[bigjimbishop]

If you are on a low income you can get 38% towards the cost of vital house renovations from the CAF up to 1240 Euro, one of the advantages I've found so far being a lone parent. Round here we can get a fosse septic dug and fitted for between 2000 and 4000Euro.