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Note the date that the house was built.

If the current heating system uses natural gas, call the gas company and ask when the line was run to the house. If it was installed sometime after the build date, suspect that heating oil was originally used. If propane is in use, call the supplier and ask when the heating system was installed. If electric, determine when the system was installed. Again, compare dates.

Many home owners are unaware of the presence of an underground tank on their property, having acquired the property after the oil system was replaced.

Call SSE to do a site inspection (frequently no charge) before you have a home inspection done. This is important, because if your home inspector finds evidence of a tank, you've already spent about $450 looking at a property that may have a financial liability associated with a leaking UST (under ground) or AST (above ground).

If an AST is present, suspect leakage from the AST, and suspect that a UST exists. ASTs were often installed to replace a leaking UST.

If the house has a coal chute, suspect the presence of a UST.

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.

Just because a UST may still be in use doesn't mean that it hasn't leaked. Many tanks leak for years while they are in use. And, many tanks still in use may not be the original UST. The original UST, and even a second, are sometimes found when the last-used tank is removed.

Have the soils beneath an active UST (or AST) checked for the presence of leakage.

In addition, if the property owner states that their UST was removed or abandoned, make sure that they can provide you with a copy of a report, signed and sealed by a NC-licensed geologist or engineer, certifying that the tank was property removed or abandoned. Read the report.