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Very small heating oil leak

diana1mariadiana1maria Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Noticed someone had trodden on an oil pipe near our oil tank and there was a very small leak on the concrete base of the tank. I cleaned it up with some kitchen roll and had it repaired straight away but now a couple of well established Japanese anemones have died but non the convolvulus of course! 
It is not near water pipes or foundations.
Any suggestions what to do?  Should I:
1) dig the earth out and take it to the the recycling centre and replace with new soil? If so, to what depth should I dig it?  
or
2) just aerate the ground and put some fertiliser on to get some natural bacteria going to eat it up, hopefully/ maybe 
or 
any other suggestions please? 

 

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Sounds like an insurance claim might be advisable. It probably needs a specialist to decontaminate things properly.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2022
    Have you any idea of the amount involved? Something on a concrete base that could be effectively cleared up with some kitchen roll doesn’t sound much … are you sure that there wasn’t a bigger leak/spillage that someone turned a blind eye to?
    Did this happen during a delivery? OR
    has someone attempted to/succeeded in stealing your heating oil?  There’s quite a few incidents of this happening in rural areas. 
    Have you checked the level in your tank?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • diana1mariadiana1maria Posts: 4
    Think it must have been during a delivery as no one goes there.  It was a small amount to dry up but had been going on for about three months.
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    If it is only a small amount, personally I would encourage the natural organisms to deal with it. There will be bacteria that will break it down. Adding OM will help. Grow tough tolerant cheap plants there. I suspect that, with no more leaks, the problem will have sorted itself by next spring. Unfortunately some will make its way into the storm water drainage and be headed for your local river by now.
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