Removing oil tanks in private land

How does it work?

As the owner of an in-service oil tank, you must have the tank inspected annually. You also need insurance against the consequences of any soil contamination. Do you want to remove the oil tank? Then you must excavate, clean and remove the tank and pipes (or have them excavated). You must fill the hole with clean sand.

Terms

Sometimes a house still has an old oil tank under the ground. Often nothing can be seen of it, but one day the tank rusts through and can contaminate the soil. The property owner is liable for the damage.

Disposal obligation

An oil or fuel tank in your ground should basically be removed. This is because a tank that is no longer in use can rust and leak. This can contaminate the soil and groundwater.

The disposal obligation does not apply to tanks remediated (cleaned) by a Kiwa-approved company before January 1, 1999. The removal obligation also does not apply to tanks remediated before March 1, 1993. The municipality may still require you, the owner, to take additional measures. In the past, tanks were not always decontaminated thoroughly.

How do you find an oil tank in your yard?

• Possible clues in your yard include a manhole cover, a copper cap, a vent pipe or strange subsidence. Prick the ground with a metal rod near the basement or crawl space. Oil tanks are never more than 1 meter deep. If necessary, you can use a metal detector.
• In the basement or crawl space, a leaky pipe indicates oil supply. Old oil pipes are easy to spot: they are at least twice as thick as gas lines and about 6 inches in diameter. Plugged holes in the wall are an indication that pipes used to run there.
• Ask your neighbors or former residents if they know of the existence of a tank.
• Oil dealers in the community are a source of information. They know in most cases which houses used to have oil fires.