OWNERS of oil storage tanks in Farnham have been asked to check their tanks are still in a sound condition after a substantial oil leak was discovered in the River Wey.

The Environment Agency received several calls to its 24-hour incident hotline number on the morning of Tuesday, August 2, after thick oil was seen flowing into a stream skirting the northern boundary of the Bishop’s Meadow, a water meadow between Farnham town centre and the River Wey that serves as an important flood plain for the town.

An environment officer from the local Environment Agency office attended the scene that morning and found that a small stream located below Bishop’s Meadow and the back of Farnham library had been badly affected by thick black waste engine oil, stretching over 150 metres downstream.

The officer immediately put in barriers as well as absorbent booms (pictured) to prevent any more of the stream being affected.

With the help of Thames Water Utilities Ltd the oil was traced back to a culvert under The Grove in Farnham, which forms part of a surface water drainage system that takes the surface water run-off from the roads in the western part of Farnham.

It is believed the heavy rains experienced overnight on Monday, August 1, washed out the oil, which could have been in the drains for some time.

Unfortunately, attempts to trace the source of the oil up the drainage system were thwarted by further rain that morning.

On Wednesday, August 3, specialist remediation contractors, working on behalf of Thames Water, started the clean-up process. The Environment Agency confirmed this may take a number of days as there is still a lot of oil caught up in vegetation in the stream.

JC Hall, an environment officer at the Environment Agency, said: “We are grateful to the members of the public who took the trouble to phone this incident into the Environment Agency.

“Despite this being a small stream, the impact would have been very serious if allowed to go unchecked, as the oil could have ended up in the River Wey.

“This was thick waste engine oil that had either been deliberately and illegally poured down a surface drain, or was from an oil storage tank that has leaked and had found its way in to the drains until the heavy rains washed it out.

“I would ask anyone who has, or knows of any such tanks to please check they are still in a sound condition.”

Mr Hall added: “If you spot an environmental incident that poses a danger to the natural environment, or impacts water or land, please report it using our 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60. The Environment Agency works to reduce impacts to the environment, and takes enforcement action against polluters.”