OK.......anyone else smell a rat?

[Alcazar]

Right here's the story: we had a new "toutes eaux" fosse fitted Feb 2003. Full permission, done by a VERY reputable company.

This year, we paid an architect €2000 to REDRAW plans I'd done myself because we fell foul of the rule about total area, but paid up, if without the smile, and got planning permission through by July.

Recently we had a contact from the architect saying that we needed further tests before planning permission would be granted..............we already have it, so what...........??????

Yesterday, we had a facture, from a company .......just down the road from the house, wanting €358.80 to do a permeability test ............surely, this was done when the fosse went in? They call themselves "Conseils Etudes Envirionment" Is this for real?

And over £200 to do a simple test? Redo it?

Does someone, somewhere think they've seen me coming??

Any advice gratefully received, etc,

Alcazar

[Anton Redman]

Who put the tank in ?  Is it worth giving them a call to ask ? I have friends who are building in Les Tuilleries ( Oradour sur Vayres to St Bazile road) and will ask them what they have had to pay.

I have noticed that things that used to go through quietly on the nod from the mayor now require paperwork.

Thought for the day every time I drive from St. Mathieu to Cussac I wonder why the hamlet is not called 'The Expletive Deleted Tourrettes'

Conseils Etudes Environnement 

[Gyn_Paul]

When you had the Fosse Toutes Eaux installed it should have been preceded by an 'etude geologique' ( basically, as you say, a permeability test ) my company presented me with a nice ring-bound booklet with the details of the results and the required design of filter etc. And I should think so too for the money it cost!

At the end of the installation it should have been inspected by someone : not sure who (Val2 is bound to know), my Marie made the arrangement for me, chap came from the local town. At the end of the survey, they should have sent you an  'attestation de conformitie'.

If the answers to all these are 'yes' then you can prove it doesn't need another survey. Simply send them a copy.

 

[Val_2]

Yes your canton should have a resident technician d'assainissement who covers all the communes in the canton from the general application to the finished installation and then the four yearly examination visits from thereon. All paperwork including installation permits and emptying invoices must be kept and shown when demanded. Currently in our canton,inspections are being carried out on the most outlying properties well off the mains drainage system and they are very thorough with follow-up letters telling the householders what works need to be done in the future.

[Me0wp00]

Val as a matter of interest, our property still has a soakaway and I had heard that all areas were having checks done to see how mains drainage could be brought to the rural areas, there is hardly any chance that we could get mains so I assume we'll be told to get a fosse installed. Am I right in thinking there will be grants for this when there isn't any form of *proper* drainage as forking out for a fosse will be a major hassle as we don't presently have any sewage problems, but a grant might just sweeten it a bit?

Thanks in advance

pippa

[Val_2]

Pippa. As far as I am aware,there will be some financial aid towards installing a proper system where none currently exists if you are a full time resident in France,sorry but holiday home owners currently may not qualify. The best place to start is with your local mairie and their technician who will have all the paperwork and info on grants. As regards soakaways, these are being inspected thoroughly here and even grey water from washing machines/kitchen sinks etc only is being targetted with the householders being told in writing to get the waste diverted into their septic tank system. Mains drainage will never be laid on in really outlying areas far from the commune, there just is not enough finance available when you see how much it costs just even to tarmac a couple of hundred metres of road after the pipes have been laid let alone the actual drainage work. I would advise you to get your skates on as there may be a queue for financial aid once the initial shock has worn off and people begin to cotton on.

[Miki]

Our town had our meeting with the Maire and the area reps about all this one evening, some time ago now, did post about it but can't find it now!!

Anyway it was a real farcical type affair, good for a laugh and a joke, as well as a few rows (some pretty hot ones as well !) The bottom line was that all aid money in the 35 had run out after just a fifth of the communes had been "done" leaving the other 80% with no subvention whatsoever.

So if this is general, well,  as a French assainissement (sp) friend on the night said, it looks very much likely the new "regulations" will never, ever be completely done. The only ones in the first batch of properties around here to be told work will be required, are the ones whose waste/soil water affects their neighbours, all the rest will simply be put on the back burner until whenever !

After being told on the evening that the new laws would mean all waste water would now mean clean water being discharged after the soakaway etc, almost drinkable in fact, one of our close neighbours said, her fosse had not been touched for 30 years and the Maire could come and drink it if he wanted, he declined and said he would leave it to the experts, to which she replied, she didn't care what they said, she had no money for any updating, so the Maire and the rest of the French Governmental bodies could get stuffed (my translation). She asked if she would get any help and the Maire simply reiterated that they had no money and nor did the department !

Val, apart from any expense, it is totally impossible to put many rural properties on mains. The runs would often be far too long to enable it to work properly, "falls and rises" would also make it impossible in most cases. How much money has your commune got to go towards these works?

I fear these regulations have not been thought out carefully and it is just a farce, with some being asked to renew and others told, OK it is not good but it will do, well that is what is happening around here anyway and from what the people we know, who do this work have said, they are of the same agreement.

The only good thing, is that at least with an etude required now, all new work will meet the new standards but we are still hearing of new folks who are riding roughshod over the regulations and doing it behind peoples backs hoping to save a few bob but don't realise that the likelihood of when they apply for building permission, they will be asked for an etude on their fosse system, which may well then give them a large headache !

[Me0wp00]

I'll go see the mairie, we're not holiday homers so will ask him about grants, everyone here seems to have the attitude that mains sewerage won't come and so leave be but with a growing family I'm not too keen on the soakaway but with never having any major problems and not really wanting the garden dug up I'm tempted to let things lie so to speak :o)

[Alcazar]

Right, this is where I am now:

   Spoke to my original installer on the phone from the Uk yesterday, and he's intrigued, to say the least

   He tells me he's never come across this before, (which makes me doubly suspicious, as he's one very busy installer, and very highly regarded), and can't think of any reason why someone should have the right to send me a facture.

   He's going to contact our Mairie on my behalf, and I'm to ring him again for the answer on my next visit to the house.

 

Alcazar

[BJSLIV]

Its the norm in many areas for the act of applying for planning permission to provoke a review as to the adequacy or otherwise of the drains, unless you are connected to the mains. Did such an inspection take place before permission was granted? or are they only now catching up with you, and have sub-contracted the work to  a private surveyor.

[Alcazar]

That's a possible, I suppose, but I already have my planning permission, so what can they do?

Alcazar