Winter is coming…your heating oil is valuable. Are you doing all you can to protect it?

The Environment Agency, Portsmouth Water and OFTEC are encouraging people in Hampshire and West Sussex villages to check and replace failing domestic heating oil tanks.

Simon Deacon, Portsmouth Water Catchment and Environment Manager, is part of the scheme:

“Domestic heating oil tanks are likely to leak and contaminate groundwater if they are more than 20 years old, in poor condition, single skinned or have deteriorating pipework. To help prevent this we offer eligible homes a FREE tank inspection and 50% off replacement works to help protect drinking water supplies”.

Dawn O’Neill, Environment Agency Groundwater Technical Specialist, is part of the campaign: 

“Oil pollution is one of the most common incidents I face. In the last 3 years there have been 395 pollution incidents recorded in England caused by leaking or split heating oil tanks, harming fish, birds and aquatic life”.

“Heating oil leaks are expensive and are often not covered by insurance. Clean-up costs are regularly more than £20,000 and can quickly escalate to six figures if drinking water supplies are affected as properties need to be dug up to find and remove the oil before it reaches groundwater”

All this is much more likely to happen if your tank is more than 20 years old, in poor condition, ‘single skinned’, or has deteriorating pipework.

Find out more about the local grant scheme, including a downloadable leaflet, at www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/about-us/water-quality/heating-oil/.

Contact Portsmouth Water to find out if you are eligible:

E-mail catchment.management@portsmouthwater.co.uk  

Call 023 9224 9248

Always report an oil spill or leak to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour emergency hotline on 0800 80 70 60