Water connection

[Kit]

Hello all,

We have a not yet habitable house on the outskirts of La Trimouille.  

Although we are far from moving in (no electric, bare walls etc) having a water supply would be very helpful.  I have a couple of questions:

• Who is the water company for the area?
  
  
• We have a meter (currently on 0) and a French bank account, but not an official french address - can we do this with our English (Welsh) address?
  
  
• How is water billed - for example is there a standing charge or is it by the litre only?
  
  
• We dont yet have a Fosse or any type of drainage - would this be an issue?
  

Any information would be very welcome.   

Thanks

Kit.

[Brian]

Hi Kit,

Water is, indeed, a bit of an essential for modern living  

• Eaux de Vienne are the local water suppliers. Their web site is pretty hopeless. They have been promising a new 'consumer-focused website' for a year or two now, but it still hasn't appeared. I think you'd be better calling into their local office or phoning them.
  
  
• It'll be difficult or impossible to arrange water supply without a recognised French address. Could you ask at the Mairie? They will almost certainly have an address for the wreck/building/plot as appropriate!
  
  
• You're right on both counts - there is a standing charge (we pay about 70€/year for standing charge, plus about 1.50€/m cubed (so 0.0015€/litre) plus around 25€ for various charges for anti-pollution, water conservation etc)
  
  
• I don't know the legal position regarding drainage - this would be a good question for your notaire. However, it is the law that waste water from households has to be disposed of in an allowed manner - basically assainissement non-collectif (a microstation or fosse toutes-eaux) or assainissement collectif  ('mains drainage'). Here's what Eaux de Vienne have to say about assainissement non-collectif.
  

Don't be alarmed - this is all perfectly doable!
Do you have a timescale for making the place habitable?

Good luck!
Brian

[Kit]

Hi Kit,

Water is, indeed, a bit of an essential for modern living  

• Eaux de Vienne are the local water suppliers. Their web site is pretty hopeless. They have been promising a new 'consumer-focused website' for a year or two now, but it still hasn't appeared. I think you'd be better calling into their local office or phoning them.
  
  
• It'll be difficult or impossible to arrange water supply without a recognised French address. Could you ask at the Mairie? They will almost certainly have an address for the wreck/building/plot as appropriate!
  
  
• You're right on both counts - there is a standing charge (we pay about 70€/year for standing charge, plus about 1.50€/m cubed (so 0.0015€/litre) plus around 25€ for various charges for anti-pollution, water conservation etc)
  
  
• I don't know the legal position regarding drainage - this would be a good question for your notaire. However, it is the law that waste water from households has to be disposed of in an allowed manner - basically assainissement non-collectif (a microstation or fosse toutes-eaux) or assainissement collectif  ('mains drainage'). Here's what Eaux de Vienne have to say about assainissement non-collectif.
  

Don't be alarmed - this is all perfectly doable!
Do you have a timescale for making the place habitable?

Good luck!
Brian

Thanks Brian - great response (as always  )

We are not back now until spring (a bit cold for staying in the house with no heating etc).  

Having thought about it we DO have an address - I was more thinking about the post box, which we bought in a flurry of excitement and is sitting in the barn.  Very recently all the properties in our small hamlet received numbers, but on a visit to the Marie, we were told that as our house was 'uninhabited' it had not been issued.  

When you say ask the Notaire - is that an option - can we (now almost two years after our purchase) go and ask questions like this?  

In terms of timescales for habitation - possibly two years to get the basics in place (water tight roof, water, rudimentary kitchen and somewhere to sleep that doesn't include small furry companions or large spiders  .

[Brian]

Sorry - I thought I'd already replied but it appears not

If you let the Mairie know that the house is now inhabited, I'm sure they'll issue you with a number. In addition, you can always use the plan cadastral reference. You'll need to scroll around the map a bit to find your precise parcel of land but that reference will uniquely identify your land - make sure you choose the parcel that actually has your building on it!

In terms of asking the notaire - there is no time limit. They are usually happy to deal with any queries and there is generally no charge. I bought my house about 10 years ago and recently had to ask the notaire to provide an attestation for my passport application. All done very happily and at no cost

It is, as you say, a bit cold here at the moment for staying in a waterless, unheated shell. Enjoy all the mod cons while you still have them!

All the best,
Brian