Signs Of Underground Oil Tank Leak

Even if the oil has all leaked out and the tank is empty and no one has said anything to you about contaminated soil or groundwater you still may be dealing with a fire hazard.

Signs of underground oil tank leak.

You re noticing that the ground is turning brown. When you have an underground oil tank leak you might start finding stain spots around your property. The oil leaking into your ground will cause damage to the surrounding foliage especially if the tank is under a grassy area. Rain water soaks into the soil.

Below are three tips for being able to tell whether or not the oil tank on your property is leaking. Approximately 542 000 underground storage tanks usts nationwide store petroleum or hazardous substances. This photo shows one type of oil tank fill valve. After oil leaks gravity pulls the oil down deeper rain can also help push the oil away from the tank driving the oil deeper and also horizontally.

If the buried oil tank has been properly decommissioned they will usually remove or cut the breather tube and fill valve so there will be no signs of an oil tank on the outside of the house. The red you see in the photo is oil. Contamination may be indicated by signs of a damaged tank or pipe soil that is stained or gives off strong oil odors a sheen on the groundwater or environmental test results. The greatest potential threat from a leaking ust is contamination of groundwater the source of drinking water for nearly half of all americans.

The high concentration of oil vapors that may come with your oil leak can be hazardous to your health. This can occur when the metal tank corrodes and oil leaks out of the tank into the surrounding soil. These will likely be dark brown and smell like oil and seem to appear out of nowhere. Above ground storage tanks asts can also leak but oil leaks from asts are typically sudden and obvious.

This indicates that oil is leaking from your underground tank and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible by our professional excavating contractors at a l l. Presence of both a gas meter and an oil tank indicate that the tank may be abandoned. Oil is lighter than water and will float on top of the water. If your underground oil tank is empty you are dealing with what many environmental experts would refer to as a fire hazard.

The long term effects to your health as a result of prolonged exposure can be significantly worse. Typical signs of a leak from an ust include discolored soil greenish gray strong petroleum odors and dead vegetation.