Emptying a septic tank

Not a great subject but something we must do when we live in the countryside in Brittany and other remote parts of  France!

Every 5 years it is advisable to have your septic tank emptied. It is now regulated so you can’t ask the local farmer to come and do it for you. You must use a registered company and the sewage gets sent to be recycled ‘properly’ rather than being spread on nearby fields.

The company will come and empty the septic tank, clean the tank and fill it again with water.

The price depends on the size of the tank. Expect to pay around 200 euros.

Septic tanks in France

If you are thinking of moving to Brittany, you are likely to buy a house with a septic tank (fosse septique or toutes-eaux). Mains have not reached most of rural villages yet!

All you need to know about septic tanks:

Use cleaning products special for septic tanks ‘sans danger pour les fosses septiques’. You can easily find them in French supermarkets.

Don’t flush anything into the system apart from toilet paper (no nappies, tampons, bleach, etc).

Don’t drive over the drainage system

Don’t plant trees or shrubs on the drainage system as the roots could block it.

Put some biological activator on a regular basis (Eparcyl is a good one. You will find it in any supermarkets or drogueries in France amongst cleaning products). The one I use is special for holiday homes. Although I live in France all year round, I only have to use it twice a year rather than once a week or once a month.

If you look after your septic tank, it will be ‘healthy’. It should not smell.

It is advisable to have the septic tank emptied every 5 years. Look in the yellow pages (www.pagesjaunes.fr) under vidangeur. The vidangeur will ask you how far he will be able to approach the tank with his lorry so measure before calling him! Ensure also the access point is uncovered when he comes.

Depending on the size of the septic tank and how many meters of pipes are required, it will cost you around €100-€150. Local farmers used to empty septic tanks but they are not allowed anymore!

Property surveys in France

When you buy a property in France you need to be aware that you buy it as seen. The vendor has to provide the seller (and the notaire) with reports identifying the presence of asbestos (lutte contre le saturnisme), lead in paint (amiante) and the presence of termites and parasites. New reports include septic tanks (raccordement au réseau d’assainissement), electrical safety (état de l’installation intérieure électrique) and energy consumption in the house (diagnostic de performance énergétique).

All these reports are carried out by specialist companies and are – of course – written in French. It is very important to read and understand them before signing any papers (compromis de vente).

Recently I had to interpret for an English couple who was buying a property in Brittany. Although the agent was English, he didn’t fully explain the septic tank report. When I translated at the notaire’s for them they found out the septic tank was in good working order but was not conforming to the new regulations. They had to think about having a new septic tank installed within a couple of years. A septic tank could be rather pricey (between 5,000 and 10,000 euros) depending on the ground, access, size of the plot, number of bedrooms, etc. If this couple had known about the septic tank issue beforehand, they would have probably asked the vendor to reduce the price. Unfortunately it was too late to negotiate anything as they were about to sign the final papers (acte de vente). Negotiations are done before signing any paper so before signing the compromis de vente.

When you buy a house in France, take your time. Seek advice from a translator if you don’t speak French. You could save a lot of money and stress!

See my post about ‘Why you should employ a translator / interpreter when buying a house in France’ here.