The presence of an underground storage tank on your property is not something to take lightly. Underground storage tanks can have all sorts of nasty effects on your house, the surrounding area, and your property values. The important thing to remember is that the situation can be remedied. First, you’ll need to know for sure that an underground storage tank is the problem. Here are a few ways to identify an underground storage tank that can tip you off sooner rather than later.
Basement Piping
Underground storage tanks have small pipes that allow the original owner of the tank to use it for its intended purpose. Often, these pipes are found in the basement or some other area that’s out of the way. These pipes can indicate that there is an underground storage tank not far away. This is one of the more obvious ways to identify an underground storage tank, so utilize this opportunity to get it removed.
New Concrete Patches
Sometimes, piping in the basement will have been removed and filled in with more concrete. If this is the case, you have a more difficult identification on your hands. You should be able to tell where the different concrete meet. Check on the floor and on the walls for signs of this. If you see newer concrete patches in both places, you may have an underground storage tank.
Yard Depressions
When underground storage tanks were installed, they required a lot of earth to be removed from the area where they would lay. If you notice that your yard has a noticeable dip somewhere along the surface, it’s likely that the replacement of that earth over top of a storage tank is the root cause. These can get worse over time, so make sure to get the problem resolved as soon as possible.
Yard Pipes
In order to access the tank, pipes were usually left sticking up out of the ground that led down to it. These pipes could still be in your yard, possibly even hidden behind foliage. If you notice a pipe sticking out of your yard and you don’t explicitly know what it is for, it could be an indication that there is a leftover storage tank underneath it.
Ground Penetrating Radars
If you can’t find any physical evidence of an underground tank, but your suspicions are still high, you can always use a ground-penetrating radar to be sure of its presence. These radars will give you a much more accurate reading of what lies beneath the surface of your yard. If used correctly, they can even be used to measure the size of the underground storage tank.
Environmental Works is the underground storage tank removal contractor you can trust to get the job done right and with as much care as possible to for your home and yard. We understand this problem can be unsettling, but we can help you with out of it quickly and efficiently.