Removing Oil Tanks from Private Property

An underground oil or fuel tank can rust or leak. This can contaminate the soil. If there is an underground oil or fuel tank in your yard, you must report it to the municipality.

  • If you no longer use the tank, you must have it removed by a certified company. Always have a soil test conducted.
  • If you are still using the tank, you must have it inspected every year.

How does it work?

  • The removal requirement does not apply to tanks that were decontaminated (cleaned) by a Kiwa-certified company before January 1, 1999.
  • The removal requirement also does not apply to tanks that were remediated before March 1, 1993.

The municipality may still require you, as the owner, to take additional measures. This is because tanks were not always thoroughly cleaned in the past.

What should I do?

The West-Holland Environmental Agency carries out a number of operational soil-related tasks on behalf of the municipality of Voorschoten

Additional Information

Sometimes it's hard to tell if there's an oil tank.

  • Signs in your yard include a manhole cover, a brass cap, a vent pipe, or unusual subsidence. Oil tanks are never buried more than 1 meter deep.
  • In the basement or crawl space, an unused pipe indicates an oil supply line. Old oil pipes are easy to recognize: they are at least twice as thick as gas pipes and have a diameter of about 6 centimeters.
  • Sometimes your neighbors or the previous residents will know if there's a tank in the yard.
  • Oil dealers usually know which homes used to have oil-fired heating systems.

Did this information help you?