Oil Tanks
Imagine having no drinking water. Boiling the water won't remove the dangerous agents traveling through every pipe in your home. You can't even take a bath or wash your hands with the water from your well. You can't dig a new well; the problem is bigger than that. The problem is the ground water. Somehow a deadly poison has gotten into the ground water table. This poison consists of benzene and other cancer-causing chemicals making it unusable for any domestic purpose. The bank does not want to refinance you because you have no potable water. Selling the home is almost impossible with no safe water available on the property.
This is a real-life dilemma some Canadian families have found themselves in. These are not people who live beside chemical plants or had a home downstream from where a major tire fire had occurred. These are rural people who experienced a leak of domestic fuel oil.
The occurrences of these types of disasters have been increasing at an alarming rate over the past number of years, as tanks and oil lines age, poor installations finally collapse or damaged fuel gauges and defective or missing fill whistles are not repaired. Your domestic oil tank may pose the greatest risk to you, your family, your home and your way of life. When caught quickly, some of these spills can be cleaned up, however, these costs often run in the tens of thousands and even millions of dollars, quickly exhausting any insurance limits that may apply. The only real solution is prevention.
Insurance companies across the country are employing tactics in an attempt to lessen their exposure to these types of risks. North Blenheim Mutual urges you to verify the state of your fuel oil tanks in and around your home. If you have any doubts seek the advice of a qualified heating technician immediately. It is our hope that with neighbours working with neighbours, we can all help to preserve our freshwater supply.