putting in a new Fosse septique

[Pat76]

Hello from a fairly new member.

Please can anyone help me find out about putting in a fosse, within 35 meters of a water course? The house we have just bought has an old "brown water" system, and so of course our first job is to get a fosse sorted out. The garden is about an acre, but it is bounded by a stream, and anywhere we put the fosse will be within 35 meters of the stream. We have been told that there are extra requirements for the drainage - does anyone know about this? Or can anyone point me in the right direction to find out about these requirements? We are hoping to have all the information we need before we go back at Easter. Also, does anyone know a builder who might be able to do the installation for us? We are in 16, just outside Chalais.

Thanks in advance

Pat

[Nick Trollope]

Can't help with your area, but you have 2 obvious sources of information; A fosse installer (lots speak English if this is an issue) or SPANC, contactable via your Mairie. The regs are very tight, so don't assume that one can install a fosse in all cases.

[Dave&Olive]

hi ok

             first of you can put the fosse where you want , it`s the filter system thats the problem , but the directions state  for the fiter system " if within 35mtrs of a WELL the sand filter must be in a bag " other than that you are ok ,you run the outlet in to the soil .river .road any way

 have a look see here

http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j311/daveolive/?start=60

    dave

[Gyn_Paul]

I can't believe that's the case Dave: most of the bacterial treatment takes place in the sand filter. You would be discharging incompletely treated sewage into a water course that way.

Or have I misread your purpose in upper-casing 'well'?

My new fosse discharges into a sand filter then into a ditch which is ipso facto a water course. I doubt it would have been permitted had I tried to get away with just the fosse.

As long as the OP has room for a sand filter, he'll be OK.

p

[Pat76]

Thanks for the replies.

Gyn-Paul, how big is your sand filter?

Thanks

Pat

[Clair]

I seem to remember that the size of the sand filter is governed by the size of the tank.

We have a 4000l tank and a 35m² filter (champ d'épandage).

[Pat76]

Thank you for that, Clair

When you say 35m2, do you mean it measures 35m x 35m, or is it 7m x 5m? Did you have it done recently?

Pat

[Clair]

It's 7 x 5 m and we had it done in late 2003.

We were advised from begining to end by the SPANC/SATESE, who did the soil samples, the reports and gave us recommendations according to the soil geology. They also came for a site visit during and at the end of the works.

At the time, we were the first people in the area using their services and we did not pay any fees, but my understanding is that the whol process costs about €200 now.

[Pat76]

Hello Clair

Thank you for that information.

I have sent you a PM

Pat

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="Pat76"]

Thanks for the replies.

Gyn-Paul, how big is your sand filter?

Thanks

Pat

[/quote]

For our 3000 L fosse the filter is 25sqm (that's 5m x 5m x 1m deep : although because of the layers of gravel below and above the actual sand, and the returned soil on top the actual hole is the better part of 2m.).

I opted for a sand filter rather than muck about with field drains because the field it's in is boggy for most of the year, and the previous foss (+ French drains) frequently backed up during periods of heavy and persistant rainfall. All that was required additionally, after the installation of the fosse and the sand filter, was to dig a trench for an outflow to the ditch by the road (some 4m lower than the field and 2m lower than the sand filter).

For many installations requiring a sand filter this becomes the main issue: can you run off a pipe at such a low level?

I imagine if it had been an issue, our sand filter could have been 10m x 10m x 50cms deep, but that's probably as thin as you can make it without your distributing and collecting pipes practically touching !

p

[Pat76]

Hi Gyn-Paul

Thank you for the information. We don't know how boggy our garden can be, but we are assuming it must get fairly damp near the stream. The ground does not slope much from the house to the stream, so fingers crossed it will not cause a problem!

Pat

[maude]

cost in Vendee area-450euros. Maude Edited.This is for the survey only and not the 200 quoted by Clare.Obviously the installation cost is another matter! Maude Hope this clarifies this.

[Gyn_Paul]

If you can put your hand to one of those laser spirit levels, a couple of long sticks marked off in 50cm intervals and another pair of willing hands (wearing a pair of wellies), you can easily work out how far above the water level the garden is. if you find you can establish 5m from water level to mean ground level then you're OK. Failing that, you might be looking at a pumped discharge. But it sounds to me like you really need a site survey from a reputable installer.

p

edit - the wellies are on the feet not the hands !

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="maude"]cost in Vendee area-450euros. Maude

[/quote]

[duplicate post]

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="maude"]cost in Vendee area-450euros. Maude

[/quote]

Are you sure? is there perhaps a '0' missing here?

p

[Pat76]

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to reply,  I now have a much better idea of what we need to do.

Pat

[Boiling a frog]

The first step is to contact your Mairie and ask who it is that carries out the inspections and authorisations for septic tanks.Hopefully it is a representative from SPANC and if so you arrange an appointment with the representative who will come out and tell you exactly what system is required.Also hopefully they will already know the type of soil (they do in our area) so no need for a soil test.You then put in an application and you should receive authorisation within a couple of weeks.The rep will probably also be able to give you some recommendations for installation,beware of man with digger who may or may not know how to install a fosse and drainage .

 

[Patf]

One of the peolpe who gave us an estimate reminded us to find out where the water, electricity gas and telephone underground systems were. Don't want to cut through any of them.

[Dave&Olive]

[quote user="Patf"]One of the peolpe who gave us an estimate reminded us to find out where the water, electricity gas and telephone underground systems were. Don't want to cut through any of them.[/quote]

hi ok

        just to add to the above , the water board came out to mark the water main before I put mine in, with his ultra dogs b`s detector , he marked out with bright pink spray where it was .I had to move the tank further down to accommodate the water main ( sewage pipes and water pipes should not cross each other ) ,any way first bite with the digger .... yes... straight through the water main he was only 3 yards out !!!!

       Dave