Do you use an alternative fuel such as heating oil and consequently store this oil on your property?
As your water supplier, Portsmouth Water abstracts water from the groundwater contained within the chalk rock, known as an aquifer, of the South Downs which may be underneath your property. This water is vulnerable to pollution should an oil leak or spill occur. Over recent years there have been an increasing number of pollution incidents caused by faulty or badly maintained domestic heater oil storage tanks and from criminal activity, especially related to the attempted theft of fuel oil.
In an attempt to reduce the risk from domestic heater oil storage, Portsmouth Water have embarked on an initiative to increase the awareness to the wider public of the hazards posed to local drinking water supplies, provide advice on how to prevent spills, leaks and thefts occurring, and what to do in the event of a leak or spill.