A Lot Of Fosse?

You may become the owner of a septic tank when you buy a home in France, so what do you need to know? Catharine Higginson explains how to manage your fosse septique

- Catharine Higginson

When you buy a French property there are many ‘firsts’, and while it may not be as glamorous as taking the first dip in your new pool or as enjoyable as meeting the neighbours, becoming the owner of a septic tank (une fosse septique) is often a new departure for many property owners.

France is busy connecting village households to the mains drainage system (tout-à-l’égout); however, the sheer size of the country and the number of outlying and isolated properties means that there are currently five million French households (around 20% of the population) not on mains drainage. And as British buyers tend to look to rural areas, it’s very likely that your new French home will be one of them!

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The national body that oversees these stand-alone systems, or assainissement non collectif, commonly known as ANC, is Le Service Public d’Assainissement Non Collectif (SPANC). The SPANC is there to advise and assist the general public in the design and installation of their system and also to inspect newly installed or existing systems, ensure that they comply with all current regulations and check that they are functioning correctly.

Since 1 March 2012, any property owner submitting a request for a permis de construire ou d’aménager (planning permission) which includes the installation or upgrade of an existing sewage system, also needs to include an attestation de conformité or certificate of approval which is obtained from the SPANC. The SPANC will be concerned with the size of the system and in particular, its capacity in terms of the number of rooms in the property.