Surprise! This was the scene at our house yesterday:
Here’s what happened. A few weeks ago we tested the soil around our home’s underground oil tank to be upfront with any future buyers and to make sure everything was in good condition. The tests revealed a small leak. We were stunned. After years of trying to live green—with a rain barrel, a compost bin, energy-efficient appliances and cloth diapers—we discovered our buried oil tank had been seeping into the ground without our knowledge.
Fortunately, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) takes this seriously and offers financial assistance for homeowners in this situation. That meant the cleanup and tank removal costs, normally around $2,000, were mostly covered. We paid a $500 deductible for removing the old underground tank and the contaminated soil. We also paid about $1,300 to install a new above-ground tank, which offers a big advantage: future leaks would be visible and easier to address. In a way, we’re leaving a cleaner solution for the next owners, and our new house just got a new above-ground tank, too—so both homes are now safer and easier to monitor.
When they unearthed the old tank, the crew estimated it was about 30 years old. It looked rough, but surprisingly they could only find a dime-sized hole at the bottom. They noted that other holes might be clogged with dirt and not immediately visible, which likely allowed the leak to go unnoticed for so long.
The good news is that because oil doesn’t travel very far through compacted soil like ours, the contamination was fairly localized. The DEQ required removal of the tank and some surrounding soil to remediate the site. “Some soil” turned out to be a pretty large excavation:
To reach the tank they had to remove two azalea bushes. Thankfully the driveway and large trees were untouched. After the work was finished, the crew refilled the hole with gravel and topsoil and replanted the azaleas, although they cautioned that they couldn’t guarantee the plants’ survival. We’re hoping the shrubs bounce back.
Despite the unexpected expense—environmentally responsible, but financially annoying—we feel better knowing the problem was fixed and that our new home now has the same upgrade. It’s a weird sort of good house karma: we paid to repair an old issue for future owners while receiving the same benefit at our new place.
Have you ever discovered an unexpected environmental issue at your home—oil, mold, or something else costly and inconvenient? Unplanned repairs have a way of making the holidays feel a lot more stressful, but they can also be a relief once they’re resolved.
Psst—if you like clever DIY projects, check out that creative play kitchen made from an old TV unit that someone built recently.