Fosse Septic

[Fourbarewalls]

We need to install a fosse septic, does anyone have any experience with doing this themselves, How far away from the property do they need to be installed, how deep do they need to go, and do they smell?

How do you calculate the size require for your property?

[thomas16]

>We need to install a fosse
>septic, does anyone have any
>experience with doing this themselves,
>How far away from the
>property do they need to
>be installed, how deep
>do they need to go,
>and do they smell?
>
>How do you calculate the size
>require for your property?


Hi - we helped the digger driver install ours last June. You need to go to your Mairie as the site has to be inspected, plans drawn and permission obtained. Then we had site inspections as the work progressed and when it was finished to their satifaction we received a certificate of conformity (which we have since had to submit with a planning application for barn change of use).

You can't just go ahead and do it yourself now. There are all sorts of regulations.

Best of Luck.....Tom

[val2]

May I suggest before you spend a great deal of money on a new fosse septique that you enquire with the local Mairie as to whether you will be going onto main drainage in the near future if you are not sited way out in the countryside. Most communes in France will be installing mains drainage upto a certain distance from the commune centre over the next years and if you are in line for it, maybe you can manage with a chemical loo until that time and use the money for other works. We install fosses all the time and as the other message says, you must obtain permission before being allowed to do any work and there will be site inspections and soil testing,plus paperwork to be done.

[Leclerc]

We are in the process of installing ours as I write! The man from "Sivom" (Local water authority I guess)initially had to inspect the land to make sure the ground would soak up the waste water, and also to make sure we had sufficient space. he then drew up plans which were passed on to the mairie and which came back with our approved plans for our barn conversion. For our planned two x sleep 6 gites, we had to buy 2 x 3000 litre fosses and a great deal of pipe and mountains of gravel. Our neighbour owns a digger and it is his living to dig holes for people and therefore has experience in fosse installation. He dug the holes and trenches, whilst my husband has plumbed in the pipes and drains. Various inspection chambers and aeration pipes needed to be included and I haven't yet got a final cost. I would estimate about 3000. I know of some one who paid twice this for a similar installation and that, unlike ours, did not include removal of sub-soil. My husband is a qualified pplumber and also worked on drains in his youth. We have completely rennovated our own house by ourselves and yet, he would not tackle the fosse installation without the knowledge of our neighbour and would recommend that you get professional help and, obviously, the legal permission. After all, if the job's not done properly.....

[Richardbk]

for the deatils try

http://www.leroymerlin.fr and typing "fosse septique" in the left hand search box.

You will see from the various responses that things like min/max distances etc vary according to region/site etc and so you will first need to get the regulations from your local Mairie. It will then have to be planned and checked with them.

regs

Richard