Sewage Treatment Installation In France – A Step-By-Step Guide

You want to buy or sell a house and your sewage system has been declared non-compliant by the town hall (la mairie). What does this mean?

It means that you will have to change this system before or within a year after the sale of your property.

If a system is declared non-compliant, it means that it represents a risk for the environment or public health.

For example: if your septic tank is an old installation that is perforated, the wastewater may flow directly into the ground. This can have serious consequences for the environment. If it affects a water table, for example.

The SPANC (Service Public pour l’Assainissement Non-Collectif or Public Service for Individual Sewage Treatment) is in charge of controlling systems and advising individuals on their project. You will need to consult them throughout your domestic sewage treatment project.

The SPANC will guide you on which professionals to contact to carry out your site assessment (étude des sols) or to choose a sewage treatment system.

For example: depending on your plot of land and your soil, the SPANC will guide you towards a compact filter, a sewage treatment plant or a traditional system.

Site Assessment (étude des sols), hydrogeological study

A site assessment is recommended by most SPANC. It will allow you to analyse your soil, your subsoil in order to select the ideal location of a septic tank and the absorption rate of your soil. This step is decisive, because it allows you to know the different options that are available for you.

For example, if your plot of land is small with a clay soil (low absorption) you will have to install a sewage treatment system with percolation – see our article on sewage treatment systems for properties with a small plot of land.

If your land allows it and you have the agreement of the SPANC, you can install the domestic sewage treatment system of your choice. The SPANC can give you a list of recommended manufacturers. The final choice is yours. In a classic case, for the treatment of wastewater, you will have the choice between:

• A small sewage treatment plant
• A compact filter
• A septic tank with a percolation area

Which size and model to choose

The number of main rooms will decide the model you will need. The model of your system is related to the potential of your home, not by the number of inhabitants in the house.

For example: for a house with 6 main rooms or 6 PE (6 population equivalent, or 6 Equivalent Habitant = EH) you will need a 3000 or 4000 litre system. All sizes need to be validated by the SPANC.

Number of Habitable Rooms        Model

1-6                                                              Novo FR6 3000L or 4000L

6-9                                                              Novo FR9 5000L or 6000L

9-11                                                            Novo FR11 6000L or 7000L

11-14                                                          Novo FR14 8000L or 9000L

Tricel is a leader in wastewater treatment in France and in Europe. The company has developed a range of wastewater treatment plants and compacts filters to meet all your needs. Specialised in compact domestic sewage systems, Tricel provides you with simple, robust and reliable products.

The Tricel Novo Microstation

Best-seller of Tricel, the Novo sewage treatment plant is the ideal product for main residences. As an extremely compact product, it allows you to reduce the impact on the ground of your installation.

This product works thanks to a compressor which feeds aerobic bacteria with oxygen.

Made in France, the Tricel Novo micro-station is the reference in France.

Price of the Tricel Novo micro-station

All prices depend on the options chosen and the place of delivery, installations’ costs are not included. A ballpark figure is between 4,000 and 5,000€ for a Tricel Novo FR6, excluding tax and delivery/installation

Read more about the Tricel Novo Micro-Station.

Tricel’s two ranges of compact filters are ideal solutions for people with a small plot of land.

Suitable for both primary and secondary residences, these products will be able to treat wastewater in an optimal way thanks to their media filter in coconut fibre.

Sustainable and ecological solution, this product, also manufactured in France, is the last product set up by Tricel for the French market.

Installation and Compliance

Once you have made a choice of a system and a choice of product, you can begin planning your installation. For that, you have a choice:

• Use one of Tricel’s distributors
• Install the individual sanitation system yourself
• Use a builder of your choice

Once you have decided and your installation is complete, it will be imperative to call the SPANC again so that they can control your sanitation and give you a certificate of conformity.

It’s also Tricel or one of its partners that should commissioned the tank before it starts being used.

If you want more information about Tricel products, do not hesitate to contact them using the contact form below.