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Superior service in the removal and cleanup of RESIDENTIAL storage tanks. 336-263-0965

Residential USTs are non-regulated and should be of little concern.

An active or in-use UST is probably not leaking.

Removing the oil from a UST prevents leakage.

The new owner of a property will never be held liable for the cleanup of leakage from a UST that they never even used.

Filling a UST with sand, cement, or foam removes any future liability associated with a leaking tank.

This photo reveals why a UST should not be filled with sand, cement, or foam, unless it is cut open for a thorough cleaning.

One to several inches of oil, water, and sludge will always be left in the tank if removal is performed through the vent or fill pipe. These fluids will eventually leak out and contaminate the underlying soils.

Most USTs remain in service for 20 to 30 years. However, many begin leaking years before leakage is suspected or discovered. Leakage may begin in as little as 10 years in some areas (typical for tanks located in Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and surrounding areas), due to the corrosive nature of the surrounding soils in which the tank is buried.

Many homes built prior to the gas crisis in the mid-1970s were originally heated with fuel oil and/or kerosene. Homes in rural areas where natural gas is unavailable commonly use heating oil. Practically all homes built prior to 1960 used fuel oil, as it became much easier to use than coal (if you see a coal chute or an above ground tank, suspect the presence of a UST).

All home heating oil USTs in North Carolina, less than 1,100 gallons in size, are non-regulated. An unused UST does not have to be removed from the ground. However, the regulations concerning soils and groundwater will require removal of the tank once leakage is discovered. Compliance with these environmental regulations is extremely costly.

If you are looking at an older or rural property, call SSE for more information. The presence of a UST on a property does not have to be a hindrance to the purchase of the property. We may be able to provide a sensible solution to a potential problem.