TERR'EAU

What TERR'EAU does

TERR'EAU is a French non-profit association (Association Loi 1901) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Saint Girons, Ariège, dedicated to promoting ecological sanitation in France. The organization disseminates documentation, training, and educational tools on dry toilets (toilettes sèches), composting toilets, urine-separation toilets, and natural greywater management through pedo-epuration (soil-based filtration) and phyto-epuration (plant-based filtration). Its core offerings include the 'In Excremis' sensitization quiz, the GAPS participatory guide on sanitary precarity, pedagogical films produced with school partners, and the Petit Manuel de Pédo-épuration.

The association serves a fragmented base of individuals and families seeking household ecological sanitation, schools and educational institutions (e.g., École de Boussenac, Collège Saint-Vincent Hendaye, École primaire de Saint-Germé), event organizers, professionals/practitioners, and local municipalities navigating SPANC compliance. TERR'EAU is a founding member of the Réseau de l'Assainissement Ecologique (RAE) and partners with Écorce, Pierre & Terre, ARESO, Toilettes du Monde, and FNAB to deliver training and project accompaniment.

Revenue is derived from membership dues and donations, one-time sales of educational tools (notably the In Excremis quiz), and episodic public/EU grants such as FEDER. The organization operates with approximately 5 staff under a horizontal collegiate presidency model (no single president or bureau). As of the latest source material, most activities are paused due to insufficient active volunteer forces, with only distribution of the In Excremis quiz continuing. Director of publication is Lael DELORT.

Name

TERR'EAU

Legal name

Association Terr'Eau

Website

https://terreau.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TERR'EAU is a French non-profit association (founded 2008) that promotes ecological sanitation through documentation, training, and educational tools on dry toilets and greywater management, serving individuals, schools, and municipalities across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Sanitation & Environmental Education

NAICS

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ), Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) & Regulatory Compliance (EDALALAL)

Keywords

• Ecological sanitation
• Dry toilet systems
• Greywater management
• Environmental education
• Composting toilets

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Girons

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and donations: The association sustains itself through membership fees (adhésion) and donations from individuals who support its mission. Members can also participate actively in decisions and activities.
2. Sale of educational tools and merchandise: TERR'EAU generates revenue through the sale of educational games and sensitization tools such as 'In Excremis: the quiz', as well as documentation and materials.
3. Public funding and EU grants: The association receives public funding, including EU funding such as the FEDER (European Regional Development Fund) for activities like installation visits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TERR'EAU is a non-profit association that educates and supports individuals, schools, professionals, and local communities in ecological sanitation. It disseminates documentation and provides training on dry toilets (composting and urine-separating), greywater management through pedo-epuration and phyto-epuration, and the agronomic recovery of human waste. Its commercial offerings include educational tools such as the 'In Excremis' quiz game, the GAPS participatory guide, and the Petit Manuel de Pédo-épuration, distributed via its website, events, and partner organizations.

Product overview

TERR'EAU is an informational and educational association focused on ecological sanitation (assainissement écologique), primarily operating through its website rather than a commercial product platform. Its offerings center on awareness and educational materials, including the In Excremis quiz game (a gamified tool for understanding human-environment interactions related to sanitation), the GAPS participatory guide for addressing sanitation precarity, animated educational films, and practical manuals on pedo-epuration. The association also provides downloadable documentation on dry toilets (composting toilets, urine separation toilets), gray water management through pedo-epuration and phyto-epuration, and related training and project accompaniment services. The site's main content consists of informational articles, FAQ sections on regulations, and educational resources covering topics such as dry toilet technologies, ecological sanitation principles, and agronomic valorization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• A family of 4 produces approximately 220 kg of fecal matter and 2,200 liters of urine annually, which when composted can produce valuable agricultural compost.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Réseau de l'Assainissement Ecologique (RAE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008TERR'EAU has been a founding member of the Réseau de l'Assainissement Ecologique (RAE) since its creation. The RAE brings together actors in ecological sanitation, providing a collaborative network for knowledge-sharing and sector development.
• ÉcorcekeyGTM or Marketing PartnerÉcorce is an association providing eco-construction and renovation training. It co-organizes evenings and conferences on ecological sanitation with TERR'EAU (e.g., January 30 event in Foix) and offers professional training on pedo-epuration using wood chip filters, with Terr'Eau promoting these events.
• Pierre & TerrekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pierre & Terre eco-center, operating since 1997, works on eco-citizen alternatives in habitat and ecological sanitation. TERR'EAU works with Pierre & Terre on projects such as accompanying Collège Saint-Vincent in installing dry toilets, and has collaborated on installation visits and training.
• ARESO (Association Régionale d'Éco-construction du Sud Ouest)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARESO has been grouping people motivated by eco-building, eco-habiting and sharing experiences since 1999. TERR'EAU has collaborated with ARESO on projects including the Justin Cagadou report, supported by the European Social Fund.
• Toilettes du Monde (TDM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDM published a synthesis note in July 2011 on dry toilets in establishments open to the public (ERP). TERR'EAU references this work and collaborates on regulatory and advocacy matters related to dry toilet adoption.
• Fédération Nationale d'Agriculture Biologique (FNAB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNAB's 'Projet MONA' (Matière organique non agricole) aims to recycle biowaste and human excreta for use as fertilizers in organic agriculture. TERR'EAU is referenced as a relevant actor in the ecological sanitation field supporting these objectives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toilettes du Monde (TDM): French non-profit working on dry toilet advocacy and adoption, including regulatory engagement around dry toilets in establishments open to the public (ERP). Closely comparable mission and target audience to TERR'EAU, with documented collaboration on regulatory matters.
• Écorce: Association providing eco-construction and renovation training in the Ariège/southern France region, with active pedagogical programming on pedo-epuration (wood chip filters). Co-organizes sanitation events with TERR'EAU and serves similar educational customer base.
• Pierre & Terre: Eco-center operating since 1997 on eco-citizen alternatives in habitat and ecological sanitation. Direct collaborator with TERR'EAU on the Collège Saint-Vincent dry toilet project, offering comparable hands-on installation accompaniment and training services in the same region.

Others

• Réseau de l'Assainissement Écologique (RAE): National coordinating network for ecological sanitation actors in France, of which TERR'EAU is a founding member. Functions as a sector consortium rather than a competitor, but its membership roster reveals comparable peers and TERR'EAU's structural position within the ecosystem.

Regional players

• ARESO (Association Régionale d'Éco-construction du Sud Ouest): Regional eco-construction network active since 1999 in southwestern France, grouping actors on eco-habitat and sharing practices. Comparable regional scope and adjacent educational/training offerings to TERR'EAU, with documented past collaboration.

Emerging players

• WECF France: French branch of the European environmental NGO Women in Europe for a Common Future, working on environmental health including sanitation and water issues. Comparable non-profit profile with broader thematic scope, offering overlapping awareness and policy engagement on ecological sanitation.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Environnement: Global leader in water, waste, and energy management with extensive French utility operations. Represents the conventional sanitation establishment that TERR'EAU's ecological alternatives position against; relevant for understanding the broader market context and competitive dynamics TERR'EAU operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terr'eau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TERR'EAU