Oil leak concerns in my back garden!

vipergrm

A girl came out this morning from Environmental Health. She is convinced that it is coming from next door. They are going to send someone out next week to pressure test the neighbour's oil. This will help them confirm if there is a leak in the pipe between his boiler and tank. The leak surely couldn't be anywhere else???

muckybutt

Why dont they just expose the pipe and the bottom of the tank for goodness sake, cant believe how relaxed they seem about it.

A good few years back I reported a fuel oil leak from an industrial unit across the road from me, within the hour there was a fire engine - council highways van and a chap from the environment agency there.

vipergrm

muckybutt wrote: »

Why dont they just expose the pipe and the bottom of the tank for goodness sake, cant believe how relaxed they seem about it.

A good few years back I reported a fuel oil leak from an industrial unit across the road from me, within the hour there was a fire engine - council highways van and a chap from the environment agency there.

Great question. I have no idea! NIHE are basically refusing to accept any responsibility for it despite the fact that it is virtually impossible for the leak to be coming from anywhere else. We'll see what happens when the Environmental Health guys test it next week...

welda

I can't believe the time authorities are taking over this, up here, the pc green polis would be round in a shot, and rightly so!!

I'd be interested to see how they go about doing a pressure test on this system, are tanks plastic?

Regards.....

vipergrm

welda wrote: »

I can't believe the time authorities are taking over this, up here, the pc green polis would be round in a shot, and rightly so!!

I'd be interested to see how they go about doing a pressure test on this system, are tanks plastic?

Regards.....

They are testing only the neighbour's tank and yes, it is plastic. Hold on a sec though. Sure NIHE suggested someone was stealing my neighbour's oil. How awfully considerate of them to put the padlock back on after taking what they need :rotfl::rotfl:

welda

Any update on progress regarding oil leak??

vipergrm

Hi guys,

Really sorry for the lack of reply! Basically, this has gone stalemate. The Environmental Agency came out and were very helpful. First of all a young lady came out and confimed by my pictures that there was indeed an oil leak and there was no posibilty it was coming from my property. She then proceeded to arrange for a second person to re-attend the next working day with some sort of oil dtection device. When the guy came out of course the oil had all dried up but he rubbed his finger rhough it and then said that it wasn't actually oil???

This confused me somewhat because it certainly fooled me and also the EA lady. Since then there has been no recurrance. I am getting a conservatory fitted hopefully withtin the next few weeks. When the guys come out I will ask them to cement over this gap, which I have been told is safe to do so. Funny enough, it does only come out when it rains. It is suspected that it may be coming from a rusty old drain or something under me neighbour's wall.

It has stopped for now, but I am still a little concerned as to what it was. Somebody must have done something to stop it? Perhaps the NIHE found something, fixed it and decided not to mention it for whatever reason? Who knows. For now it is sorted. Thank you for all the suggestions people and please accept my apologies for the late update. :beer: