After hundreds of litres of home heating fuel leaked into a ditch in Roberts Creek during the holidays, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) is reminding residents to have their tanks checked regularly.
As much as 700 litres of furnace fuel was discovered to have leaked into the Beach Avenue culvert leading to Flume Road before Dec. 25.
"The cleanup bill can be in the neighbourhood of $10,000 or more depending on how the contamination has occurred, where it's occurred, the volume and how much soil contamination has resulted," said Harold Riedler, an emergency responder with MOE.
Riedler said these types of incidents are a common occurrence in the province and are most frequently related to older tanks needing replacement or repair.
The first responders to the incident were Roberts Creek Fire Chief Bruce Searle and Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) emergency program co-ordinator Bill Elsner.
Their efforts were praised by Riedler for helping to avoid increased environmental damage.
Initially it was feared that Flume Creek might have been contaminated, but an examination of the geography alleviated those concerns. However, the drainage pattern of the culvert does lead towards the beach and nearby park area.
"What we did was we placed fuel absorbents in the ditch system to capture as much fuel as possible," Riedler said. "They're pretty effective - they absorb about 10 times their weight in fuel."
A drainage pipe on the property where the leak occurred directed the contamination into the Beach Avenue culvert, Riedler said.
Residents who first reported the spill said they noticed the oil on the beach along with the characteristic colourful dyes used in the product.
Oil absorbers were placed in the culverts as well as signs warning residents of the contamination. After a suspected act of vandalism, the signs had to be replaced.
"We're taking this very seriously," Riedler said.
One of the first to be notified was Sunshine Coast Regional District director Donna Shugar.
"I got an email from a constituent who was out walking and there was some pink oily looking foamy stuff in the ditch," she said. "A property owner had an older oil tank, and it had a leak. It was filled, and the contents of it leaked into the property and was picked up by a drainage pipe.
"It is making its way to the ocean, no question about that in my mind."
Furnace fuel tanks can hold as much as 1,000 litres of fuel, and it is believed that the one in question was recently serviced.
The Ministry has expressed an interest in putting together a public education response that could include pamphlets or a communication strategy to ensure residents with fuel tanks on their property are aware of the risks.
Symptoms of age like rust and disrepair can have disastrous consequences, and the Ministry said this is especially true during the wet winter months.
While the spill has been dealt with in the immediate term, Riedler said a portion of the fuel has likely made its way into the water column. He also added that, in most cases, insurance companies will not pay for environmental damage.
"A small effort in prevention can certainly save residents literally thousands," he said.
