few could have foreseen the
consequences a severed oil line,
polluted water and five months of
remedial work.
into the garden at a house in
Aberdeenshire after this simple accident.
But it wasn't until fisheries staff found
oil in a local burn that the full extent of
the damage was realised.
groundwater and migrated into the
stream.
spread of kerosene downstream to the
fishery and then get the site back into
good condition," explains Soilutions
Operations Manager Sam Lord.
installing floating absorbent booms at
key locations in the burn, and building a
barrier of sandbags along the banking
to divert water away from the
contaminated area. Absorbents were
then placed behind the barrier to
intercept kerosene before it reached the
stream.
drilling rig was quickly moved on to the
site to help assess groundwater
conditions. Groundwater extraction
boreholes were installed at the same
time as the assessment works one to
remove kerosene from near the spill
source, and three more to intercept
contamination before it reached the
stream.
problems," adds Sam. "In this case, there
was restricted access to the site, so we
needed to come up with a bespoke
water treatment system which could be
easily moved onto the site."
regulating treatment system to minimise
the need for on-site supervision.
Borehole pumps, running round the
clock, removed both free and dissolved
phase kerosene from the ground water.
The system comprised an oil/water
separator followed by carbon filters, all
installed in a garden shed. Pipes and
cables were buried to prevent frost
damage and so that the householder
could continue to use the garden.
monitored each week for five months
until the kerosene was gone. Then, the
water treatment equipment and buried
pipework were removed and the garden
reinstated to its pre-spill condition. The
final job was a scientifically robust
verification report.
Sam. "It was a very rapid response and a
good solution to the problem. It does
make you very aware, though, of how
little guidance homeowners get on
maintaining and protecting their oil
installations."
worrying, says Sam, given that insurance
policies don't always cover for
environmental damage. .
have to be prepared for spills and leaks
by having spill kits," adds Sam. "Having
said that, we've found that sites don't
necessarily have anyone trained in using
the kits. We're getting asked more and
more to carry out training. It would be
interesting to see whether something
comparable could be made available for
residential properties."
houses a water treatment
system helping rid the
groundwater of spilt kerosene.
barriers
prevent oil
from polluting
the stream
and damaging
a local fishery.