Pippa Weitz of PWT Normandy and Brittany Life tells us lots more about the situation concerning our water and drainage services.
If you have problems to resolve when buying or selling your property, Pippa has kindly offered to help you get the best advice. She can be contacted at www.normandyandbrittanylife.com
So what is the situation? Here is a breakdown of some of the points covered in the programme. For much more, please visit: www.normandyandbrittanylife.com
What has to happen before 31st December 2012?
All the initial inspections should take place before 31st December 2012.
If any remedial work is required (the magic words on the report are "risque sanitaire et environnemental avéré", you have 4 years from the date of the report to complete them.
At the end of this 4 year period ONLY THE MAYOR HAS THE POWER require you to do the works by putting you in "mise en demeure" which would need either to dome by recorded delivery (LRAR) or be hand delivered by your mayor in his capacity as the police in the commune.
What should you do now?
If SPANC has not contacted you you do not need to do anything unless you are planning to sell your house - just wait for SPANC to contact you for the initial inspection. IF YOU ARE SELLING YOUR HOUSE before 1st January 2011 the estate agent and notaire are required to supply the purchaser with information about the septic tank arrangements. For a house sale after 1st January 2011, it will be compulsory to have a valid report completed for any sale. This SPANC report will need to be less than 3 years old on the date of the "acte de vente", the second and final signature for a sale. If the installation is not up to standard the new purchaser is required to undertake the necessary works within a period of 1 year.
The house we have just bought does not currently have a Fosse Septique, we know nothing about them and will be relying totally on the installer to advise us.
The first stage before dealing with any installer is to go to the Marie and get the necessary paperwork, "Demande d’ Installation d’un Dispositif d’Assainissement Non Collectif". This will lead to a survey carried out by SPANC to check what would be required. The installer must follow in full all the specifications set out in the SPANC survey.
Before you fill in again the inspector has to come and inspect the installation.
What is the organisation that is responsible for the management and implementation of this programme - SPANC's role.
SPANC (Service Public d'Assainissement Non Collectif) is the service that oversees the management of your new or existing septic tank system, providing you are not attached to mains drainage. Your mairie will be able to give you the details of the local SPANC for your area.
SPANC representatives have mandatory powers to gain entry to all properties in order to carry out their duties
They must always send a letter informing of a future visit.
What powers does SPANC have?
SPANC has two main focuses (obligatory and optional):
1) OBLIGATORY new build - the SPANC file needs to be attached to the planning permission before submission - for refurbishments you should contact the SPANC to find out exactly what you will need to do.
For existing systems requiring some updating SPANC checks the good working order of the system, and prepares a report confirming any works needing to be done.
SPANC issues the date on which the inspection will take place
All installations should have been inspected at least once by 31st December 2012
It determines the frequency of inspections, at no greater than 10 year intervals
SPANC can require the owner to use certain materials and systems
2) OPTIONAL SPANC can also undertake any remedial works if the owner wishes them to do so, in it's capacity as a Maitrise d'Ouvrage Publique. In fact if you wish to benefit from most loans or grants you will need to go this route (see below for more on funding).
Further SPANC can also empty your septic tanks and the maintenance of your septic tanks.
What if anything will be done to ascertain which houses have had an inspection, and then what will happen if an installation is required, what enforcement etc. Our Maire said nothing would happen until we wanted to sell!
SPANC is the agency mandated to hold the database, as not only it is required to carry out this first inspection before 31st December 2012, but after that, at regular intervals, it is mandated to inspect your installation.
As stated elsewhere you have 4 years from the date of the report to complete the works. If you fail to do them within the required time the mairie at the "police" of the system is required to issue a "mise en demeure", a formal notice to comply. All that will take time and as yet this has not been enforced yet, so we are still in the area on the unknown.
It is not correct that you don't have to do anything until you sell!
How much and how do you pay for these tests?
There are two types of inspections:
1) The initial report "diagnostic" on your system either when the inspector requires it or for the sale of a house, in which case the report must be less than 3 years old.
The cost for this inspection various from area to area but will be in the range of 55€ - 130€ in Basse Normandie.
2) Once the report is sent to you, you have 4 years to undertake any works required. If you decide to replace your septic tank or install a new one the next step is to ask for SPANC to come and do a survey. At the end of the work and before filling in a second visit must take place to check that the work has been done correctly.
The cost for the report and inspection is in the range of 150€ - 250€.
How much will the works cost?
For a full system, it will depend on your soil type, whether you are on a water course, or on granite, the size of house - it could be anything between 3,000€ & 13,000€.
There are grants and 0% finance available for these works. How much grant you can get depends where you live.
Agence Eau Seine-Normandie will give up to 60% as a grant.
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The Conseril General du Calvaos: grant of 15%
You will be expected to ask SPANC to carry out the work if you receive public money.
The maximum cumulated grant available is 80%.
* This is a brief summary from Pippa's site. To learn more and get the total picture please visit her at: www.normandyandbrittanylife.com
