Our possibly non-existent septic tank

I think you are right. Having a receptacle for foul waste must be a priority. Having all the new pipework in place seems pointless if it's not connected to anything. 

The quote you have been provided, where is the builder suggesting to waste goes?

Thanks for your response.  That's how we feel too.  What's the point?  The builder's plumber who came up to have a look/see went back to his boss and that prompted the quote for the work.  Until we can sit with the boss (possibly next week) and ask a/when they built the house where did the put the fosa?, and as he built three houses (one either side of us) where did he put theirs?  It's illegal to build a house without a septic tank so he must have put something in but, as I say, there's no sign of anything - no lid, no cover, nada.  We feel aggrieved because on the face of it it looks like we have to find 2,000e for something he should have done 15 years ago.  A siphon is a solution but we need to know that Domingo/AN Other can empty it if and when ...

SF.  

There has to be a tank or a receptacle. Even the most ruthless builder wouldn't drain foul waste into ground.

Personally I wouldn't part with a cent until they provide you with-

1. An as built drawing which documents the current drainage systems including outfall. Be it into a public sewage system or tank. He should have these. If not he needs to undertake this before he starts work

2. A proposed plan detailing what he is going to do

We understand what you say and are at a loss to know what to do next.  The architects' department attached to the town hall said the builder is very respected and is still building houses.  As I said, we have copies of the original plans showing where he/they planned to put the septic tank.  It looks very sophisticated and I will post photographs tomorrow as it's late now.  We are being asked to pay 2,000e to establish what he or someone should know/have done by law 15 years ago.  Not sure how long you've lived in Spain (we've been here for 18 years) but there's often a shortfall between what one wants and what one gets and you certainly don't take on builders!  The estimate I quoted is all on offer.  What are our options?  If we don't go ahead we will make ourselves ill with the gases.  We hope to sit down with him in his office next week (but he might not be the same boss as when the house was built but we will show him the plans nevertheless).  There are absolutely no clues as to where our waste goes.  The camera company we called out said they could trace it to outside our kitchen but that was all.  Outside our kitchen leads to a long drive down.  Did he just bury it underneath and let it flow out under the road?  What about the other two houses?

If we call Domingo in and (just like the other company we paid 150e to) they can't find anything either then we'll have to go back to the builder's plumber and pay the 2.000e and be another 150e worse off.

Thanks for trying to help ...

SF.

Could you not dig a trial hole to expose where the tank is meant to be. Then if it is there it will offer you the reassurance. If it's not you can demonstrate this to the builder and ask him where he plans to run the new pipework into.

You don't want to pay anything until you've established where your foul waste goes.

If the property is 15 years old and has been continuously inhabited, presumably waste must have been going somewhere for this time? Would there not be evidence by now in the form of damp areas in the garden, ground collapse or similar? It may be that there is a basic form of ‘tank’ and it was never connected or installed properly, hence the smell. 

I am convinced that these things are/were installed differently here to UK - we also have a septic tank as we are out in the campo, we know they have been installed as required, but we still intermittently are aware of foul odours - certainly whenever I run the w/machine which is in our underbuild, one goes down there to encounter a damp dirty smell and also from the kitchen wastes which I cannot get rid of no matter what I do.

I think you may need a surveyor and trial holes to see what is going on - I feel so sorry for you, please do let us know what transpires.

Thank you 271935.  Good idea and we would have done this but the whole area (in the front garden and where we park our car) is completely covered with a kind of patterned rubber black tarmac.  If it's not there and we try somewhere else we could end up with nasty holes everywhere!

Thank you for your response and sympathy, Stephanie.  Yes, our waste and the waste for the other two houses must be going somewhere.  To have not caused a problem for 15 years (as far as we know!) means that whatever we've got (?!) has been doing the necessary for a long time and unfortunately we have 'inherited' the problem from the previous 'dear' owners!  There are no damp areas or clues anywhere in our garden - front or back.  As I said in my previous message to 271935 - the whole area where the septic tank shows on the builder's plans is covered with tarmac.  Yes, we too think we must have a basic something-or-other but it's obviously either full or a pipe has been broken by roots etc., hence the woody, nasty smell now coming into the house not just the bathrooms.

It would be helpful if a professional (plumbing?) company could read my posts and let me have their views ...  

Thank you for your very informative message.  Houses built 15 years ago did have septic tanks (fosas) as many of our friends' houses are older and they have them and properly installed.  However, our (undated) plans show the following on the left side of the drawing :  Depuradora prefabriada de oxidacion total.  Entrada de aguas residuales 0200.  Hormigon o arena compactada.  Fosa prefabricada (poliester y fibra vidrio reforzado).  Potencia 220V 50Hz (0.4w monofasica.  Litros dia 1800).  On the other (right) side of the drawing :  Salida de aire a cubierta de vivienda.  Salida de aguas hacia pozo absorbente.  Underneath there is another oblong drawing with the words :  Pozo absorbente.  To the right of this it shows two tanks with the words :  Arqueta sifonica.  

 As I said in my original message - it all looks very sophisticated and professional.  However, I also said that the architect attached to the town hall told us that although something's on the plan it doesn't mean it's been adhered to.  I would love to share the photos but I don't know how to do it.  If you could send me a private message with your email or WhatsApp I could let you see the plans.  To answer your questions.  There is no vertical vent visible anywhere.  There are no hatches visible anywhere.  There is nothing visible anywhere to give even one clue where anything is!  The architect's drawing does show where it should have been installed (on the tarmacked drive at the front of the house where we park our car) but, as I say, there's nothing visible.  Why would a builder put in a pozo/septic tank/whatever and then tarmac over it so visibility and access aren't obvious?

We are not in the campo but in Benissa/Moraira a very upmarket seaside town but very few houses/roads have mains drainage.  The EU has said for the last 12 or so years that Spain must comply with EU regulations and give every house access to the mains as pozos/septic tanks are not acceptable these days.  But Spain has no money ...

We do have a Habitacion Certificate as without one you cannot sell/purchase a house.

As I mentioned, the original builder built three houses here (ours being the smallest).  The owners of the other two are not contactable so we can't approach them.  Only one company/person knows what arrangements were made for our waste when the houses were built together all those years ago but it's proving difficult to get to them/him (although the company is only 15 minutes away) to get answers.  We hope to be able to see him next week but we are sceptical.  All they seem to offer is an estimate for 2,000e which we feel we shouldn't have to pay.

Again, thank you for trying to help us.

SF.