No, there were no royalties here, just a nuisance and a big expense! Until the early 60’s, the practice of the day was to place oil tanks underground so they’d be protected and unobtrusive.  Since oil was the major source of heat at that time, many homes of that era contain the “luxury” of this hidden little menace.

Now those tanks are no longer unobtrusive.  Due to corrosion they’ve begun to leak into the surrounding soil and can become a major environmental hazard.  Of course it’s the homeowner who’s responsible for the “cleanup” so striking oil in the backyard  was not a bonus for this particular owner!

In the last decade, many of these tanks have been removed or rendered inert (cleaned out, filled with sand and inspected).  The accompanying article will explain the procedure. In recent years, it’s become almost mandatory in certain areas of the city to “scan for oil” before a pre-60’s home can be sold. Even so, sometimes that pesky little tank still remains hidden and doesn’t come to light until a number of years later. Occasionally there were two tanks but only one has been found. Or perhaps Grandpa decided to put a shiny new tank in the basement in the 1970’s, thinking the one lying underground would be gone for all time.  Not so!  The folks at Victoria Tank (Rick Hughes – 250.385.8221) can help you out with all the details and costs.

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Lois D.

Sometimes I’ll mention names of certain services or professionals we’ve found to be truly outstanding, not just satisfactory.  These referrals are unpaid and unsolicited.  While we can’t guarantee them, of course, we hope you’ll be pleased when you check them out.