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July 27, 2017

Is Oil Tank Removal in Vancouver Still a Major Issue?

If you are interested in property in Vancouver, whether you are buying or selling, knowing about oil tank removal is an important issue.

Oil tank removal in Vancouver is very much still a major concern, with many tanks still lurking beneath properties, all across Greater Vancouver. The tanks are leftover from a time where oil was stored in them to be used for fuel, with them becoming redundant after the rise and easy availability of electricity and natural gas.

The importance of oil tank removal in Vancouver

You may be wondering what the potential problems are, if indeed there is an oil tank buried under your property. One of the main issues is that, even if the oil has been drained from the tank, there will be remnants still left behind. Over time, the tanks will rust and corrode, ultimately leading to the remaining substance leaking out and contaminating the area.

An oil tank removal is essential, because any damage caused by the tank is the property owner’s responsibility, even if they weren’t aware of a tank beneath their property. This can leave you with an extremely hefty bill to pay, making an oil tank removal in Vancouver still very much an important issue to deal with.

The process of an oil tank removal

Conducting an oil tank removal in Vancouver should certainly only be done by a trained and experienced professional.

The first stage is to conduct a thorough scan of the area, which often involves using advanced metal detectors and ground penetrating radar, in order to work out where, or if, an oil tank is buried on your property.

Following the location of the tank, the excavation process can then begin, before the oil tank removal itself can occur. Oil tanks are still potentially harmful; meaning that careful and proper disposal of them is required.

After this, the oil tank removal is nearly complete, with a backfill service the only step left, which restores your area back to its previous state. This also involves performing tests on the surrounding soil, ensuring that no contamination is present in the area, especially if the tank was found to have corroded.

Rounding up

Oil tank removal in Vancouver is certainly an issue for homeowners and prospective buyers, with there still being many of them buried beneath homes in the area. Conducting a scan of your property is therefore recommended, as the sooner you can remove the oil tank the better.