We have recently entered into a rental for a villa smack bang in the middle of an urbanisation. We never thought of septic tanks having lived in France for so many years and come across them in our house ownership in that country!

It was never advanced by the UK owner or their agents and only today on hand over with our family member in Spain that the problem arose. It does not appear in the Spanish contract.

We know how they work do understand not a universal drainage system be it in Spain France or indeed the UK but had we known we would not have taken the villa. The contract was vetted by Spanish lawyers in Javea.

We have paid bonds plus the first month rental and not an insignificant amount of money plus fees to the agent.

Here we would welcome the views of contributors to this forum and am I being sniffy (sorry for the pun) in saying we should pull out of the contract.

However we have no where else to go. Our investment property in the UK has been let from today.

And I am a lawyer!

Its pretty normal around here, so I doubt many would consider highlighting it as a "feature" or anything unusual. Perhaps you may feel the place was misrepresented, but you may have some trouble convincing a Spanish court of that.

Hi and thanks I am beginning to realise the reality of it all. However choice is so important and would have welcomed the opportunity of at least knowing.

In my profession have enough problems in convincing UK courts do not intend to spend the rest of my life arguing in Spain - even if I had access or rights to the courts or command either of its codified system or its language.

But kicking myself that I did not ask the question.

Don't feel too bad. I know of others who rented a place and upon moving in, found out it had no water. It had the plumbing, and previously had a pozo but it had dried up. No cistern, no camiones de agua, nothing. Oh, you wanted water? That's gonna be expensive!

What is the problem. What are you concerned about.

Let us say some direct experiences of living in France and for well over 35 years and existing with these things!

It is certainly quite common so I would be VERY surprised had it been mentioned in any contract.

They really should not be a problem for you so just treat it as having mains drainage. If there is a problem, then it's down to the landlord to get sorted.

Hola
If you use the bidet instead of paper, then there shouldn´t be a problem unless in winter the water table rises too high.

The real question is about the water; is it potable (drinkable) - where does it come from and if a well, then how close to the septic tank?

Davexf

Toilet tissue is not a problem in septic tanks.

What is a problem are facial wipes, baby wipes etc. These will not rot down like 'normal' paper and MUST be avoided.

Equally, one should avoid using too much bleach or bacterial washing materials - they kill the natural bacteria that a septic tank needs to function correctly.

I do appreciate your guidance and advice and the straightforward way of thinking! Our hatred of the septic tank goes back years but to that and without wishing to make lots of it my wife's immune system is compromised due to special medication for an illness.

The detail is not in the contract the agent was silent the owners silent until hand over yesterday which was handled by a family member in Javea.

Had we known we would not have taken the villa.

thanks again

After 7 years in our place we have never had a problem, the one time I called the sludge gulper, they said it was not necessary after doing a few checks, no charge! The added cost here of mains sewage for one year equals the cost of emptying once, so the savings in 7 years are quite important. We have the option now of being connected but with a one off payment 4k euros and then around 150+ Euros per year, Why? we have suffered no adverse effects up until now.
I think that the extra costs of mains sewage on a large place would be quite significant.

Hola
I'd give my eye teeth to be able to have mains sewerage. Not an option where I live yet. That plus drinking water would improve life. Even on large plots, the sewerage contaminates the water table.

Davexf

We have mains water. We both shower daily, (not usually together!) and we would not even have known about the sewage situation if we had not spoken to our neighbors. In Italy we had the same situation, in 10 years we never had a problem with the septic tank. I have only ever seen the sludge gulper come to one person in our road in 7 years, and that has been since he had a large pool installed, so I guess he is changing some of the water regularly and that has maybe filled up th tank etc.

I know find that one of the largest urbanisations in Javea is on a septic tank. So knowledge is a wonderful thing and custom and practice too. However presumption is not to be encouraged.

We now understand and have put it behind us. You either live with it or go elsewhere.

It is not that we are innocents here for French living for all those years enables one to have a Phd in the subject.

What is happening however and throughout France that each fosse septique that does not comply with modern day environmental standards has to be changed and you have two years in which to do it.

Of course financial benefit as it sewerage charges absolutely agree. Still mains drainage is the preferred option not to be just get on with it.

Mains sewerage is the preferred option, even when it discharges into the local river or directly into the sea? The Sea here and in many other parts of the Med gets distinctly sweet and foamy in the Summer! Generally here the Sea current goes S>N every so often it changes direction and we get water which has passed Malaga (and the Guadalhorce river and sewage plant) the water then is frothy, has many bits in it along with pieces of tissue paper etc.
I am not sure which is the option to be preferred? If the country goes for full processing great but here or generally in Mediteranean countries????
I used to travel often between France and Italy and the change of the colour of the sea was most marked at the frontier. (this was over 5 years ago and I noticed last year that it had improved dramatically)