Fuel spills on land can be messy and cause a lot of concern but if they reach the water table that is a serious problem, however with the right signs and actions a serious problem can be a temporarily stressful but manageable situation.
Spotting the Signs
These groundwater contaminants have a distinct odour and show up as an oily sheen on surface water. They can be detected in groundwater by smelling borehole samples for the smell of petroleum or by signs of differential die-off in surface vegetation and soils.
Act Immediately
Try and stop the pollution, then report it to the Environment Agency as quickly as possible to ensure that you are doing everything you can do to deal with the pollution, and to limit your liability for it.
Why Fuel Spreads Quickly
The contaminated groundwater component, composed of hydrocarbons and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) compounds, is highly soluble and can travel rapidly through permeable formations. Early intervention is required to prevent the development of a large subsurface plume that will require prolonged groundwater remediation.
Treatment Methods Used
Common methods of site remediation include Pump-and-Treat, which involves the abstraction of contaminated groundwater and treatment above ground; Air Sparging, which injects air down into the saturated zone to volatilize the hydrocarbons and collect them in the soil vapour; and Bioremediation, which uses naturally occurring bacteria and other organisms within the groundwater to degrade the hydrocarbons. Groundwater Remediation is covered in more detail at soilfix.co.uk/services/groundwater-remediation.
Monitoring and Recovery Time
Recovery from groundwater contamination caused by fuel spill is not immediately forthcoming. Typically groundwater samples are taken on an ongoing basis for a number of years at sites affected by fuel spill contamination of the soil. However, these samples will demonstrate that the contaminating plume is decreasing in size and that the relevant groundwater treatment is successful.
Recovering fuel from the ground is always a complex job but it can be made easier the sooner you act.
