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Environmental Health
Lewes District Council
Southover House
Southover Road
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1AB
Tel: 01273 484354
ehealth@lewes.gov.uk
Minicom 01273 484488
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Oil Spills & Contamination
Oil spills occur regularly in the south east because of the large number of domestic oil tanks, especially in rural villages where mains gas supply is limited.
Cleaning up oil spills is difficult and can be very expensive.Oil is toxic and harmful to plants and animals. It is also a threat to habitats and a danger to water at the surface and underground.
Groundwater (water stored in the ground) is a major water resource in many parts of the south east. It provides 75 per cent of our public water supply and wells for many rural households.
Groundwater is vulnerable to pollution because pollutants, like oil, can be transported underground over large distances quickly.
Check list if an oil leak occurs
- Stop the flow at source by turning the tap off.
- Call the Environment Agency’s free 24-hour emergency pollution hotline on 0800 807 060 for advice on how to deal with the leak.
- Telephone our Environmental Health department on 01273 471600 as kerosene leaks can impact human health.
- Prevent the oil from entering a river, drain or groundwater by putting down sand or earth to absorb the spill. Always keep a bucket or bag of sand nearby.
- Never use detergents and never use a hose to wash away spilt oil as this can make the problem worse.
- If you have a plastic tank, rub soap into the split to seal if possible. This is only a temporary solution.
- Contact your insurance company to advise them that a leak has occurred, that a clean up operation may be needed, and to reclaim the cost of your lost oil.
- If you notice a kerosene odour in your property you should open your windows as kerosene vapour is harmful to your health. You should also advise your insurance company of the odour in your property.
- Contact your fuel supplier and ask them to remove any fuel liable to leak out.
Preventing pollution
Taking action to prevent pollution in the event of a leak from your oil tank can prevent environmental damage and avoid a costly clean up.
Cleaning up an oil spill is disruptive and time consuming. It can take months or years, and may include digging trenches and sinking boreholes, monitoring visits and meetings with consultants, the Environment Agency, Environmental Health Officers, insurance companies, loss adjusters and lawyers.
The best way to protect your tank and pipe work is with a container, such as a bund, around the base of your tank. The Oil Firing Technical Association can advise you on special requirements.
A bund will prevent pollution in case of a leak and save you from the disruption of a clean up programme. When buying a new tank ,choose one that is ‘integrally bunded’. This is a tank within a tank.
You must site your tank at least 10 metres from a pond, river, ditch or lake and at least 50 metres from a borehole or spring where possible.
OFTEC can advise you of the best place to site or re-site your tank to minimise your pollution risk. Always get new tanks installed by a qualified OFTEC registered technician.
Never leave sight gauge valves open, use British Standard automatically closing valves or electronic gauges.
Check your tank, pipe work, gauges, sight valves and bund regularly. Look for corrosion, bulging, damage, interference and signs of leaks. Get a qualified OFTEC registered technician to service and inspect your tank and pipes at least once a year.
If you have underground pipe work, make sure that no above ground activities can puncture it and ask an OFTEC technician about testing. Monitor how much oil you use so that you will be quickly alerted by any loss of oil.
Even small leaks can add up to a large loss over time if left unchecked. Alarm systems that alert you to a leak are available.
Supervise deliveries, particularly if the delivery driver cannot see your tank during filling. Get your delivery company to assess your oil tank in terms of health and safety and pollution prevention.
Make sure you have a domestic Oil Care sticker on your tank. Single stickers are available free of charge from the Environment Agency.
Insurance
Make sure that you have adequate insurance cover, and not just to replace the lost oil. Check with your insurer to see if environmental clean up is covered if you suffer an accidental loss of oil.
Your policy should have a high enough liability limit to cover you if neighbouring land and/or boreholes are affected. You should also make sure your policy covers the cost of cleaning up oil on your own property as you will be required to do this under the Water Resources Act 1991.
Note insurance companies may not pay if the leak has been occurring over time, so regular inspection of your tank and monitoring of usage is important.
