Removing oil tanks on private land

How does it work?

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

The municipality can still oblige you, as the owner, to take additional measures. In the past, tanks were not always thoroughly cleaned.

What should I do?

You report to the municipality that there is a tank on your property.

• If you are not the owner of the land but are renting it, you must inform the landlord. Always have a soil investigation carried out. If the land is contaminated, you must have it cleaned up.
• If you no longer use the tank, ask a Kiwa-approved company to remove it. You can find the addresses of these companies at www.kiwa.nl. The tank may only remain in place if there is no other option. The Kiwa-approved company will clean and disable the tank.
• If you are the owner and you still use the tank, you must have it inspected every year. Also make sure that you are insured against the consequences of soil contamination.

Additional information

Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether there is an oil tank present.

• Indications in your garden include a manhole cover, a copper cap, a vent pipe, or strange subsidence. Oil tanks are never more than 1 meter deep.
• In the basement or crawl space, an unused pipe indicates an oil supply. Old oil pipes are easy to recognize: they are at least twice as thick as gas pipes and have a diameter of approximately 6 centimeters.
• Sometimes your neighbors or the previous residents know if there is a tank in the garden.
• Oil traders usually know which houses used to have oil heating.