[rgwr]

We're switching from oil central heating to wood pellet so we'll have a redundant 2500l bunded oil tank.  I'm also building raised beds and wondering how to water the (rather sandy) soil.  Eureka! I thought - can I use the old tank to store rainwater?  The obvious question is whether it's possible to clean out the oil residue sufficiently.  Alternatively, could I use the exterior bund without the tank inside?

Has anyone tried something like this?

Thanks.

[arugula]

Hi rgwr,

Welcome! Perhaps you'd like to introduce yourself in the Welcome section too but in answer to this question, I would suggest that there would be so much detergent involved in getting a tank like that clean, it just wouldn't be worth it. Where would you flush the tank? You could cut out the inner layer, but you may well benefit more from putting your redundant tank up for sale - eBay or other - and buying a huge new water butt with the proceeds of the sale.

[mumofstig]

Is the bund actually waterproof? (some of them are only good for short term containment of spills)
It would make a great pond if it is

[rgwr]

It was probably a crazy idea, but I'm not sure there's secondhand market for them.  Last one I saw was offered at £5!  I also don't like the idea of commissioning new glass fibre or whatever if there's something to recycle, but I also don't want a garden full of oil residue.  May just get a hose.

Thanks, and I'll have a look for the welcome page.

[ex-cavator]

I agree it would be a shame just to get rid of it, and you probably wouldn't get much by selling it. Cleaning with detergent or solvent is a no-go, as you'd just generate more toxic waste with the associated disposal problem.

I reckon your best bet would be to see whether any local garage / workshops or engineering firms would steam clean it for you 

[N.WalesIdealist]

I wonder if it's legal to use something a jet washer with detergent and then send the results down the drain?

[rgwr]

I'm sure putting anything down the drain would damage the local waste water plant.  Sold the tank for £50 and the buyer is still struggling with taking it away!  Thanks for your comments.

[ex-cavator]

I wonder if it's legal to use something a jet washer with detergent and then send the results down the drain?

Looks like the moderators aren't doing their job properly. If I had written that, they'd be on it in a flash, pointing out that this is of course illegal, and that they don't condone this sort of behaviour, and probably even threatening to lock the post 

MODS

Oh. Well, leave it to me, then. AS A PROCESS CONSULTANT FOR A WATER COMPANY - and spending much of my time dealing with sewage treatment plant failures and pollution incidents resulting from just this type of behaviour - I SAY NO - you don't wash it out with detergent and then send it down the drain.  Honestly, some people 

[mumofstig]

I am a moderator on a gardening forum...........I may know some of the rules about the licensing/legality of chemicals used in the garden/allotment, and the Forum's stance on that, but  I know nothing about what you can put down a drain.

Therefore I couldn't possibly comment on what can be done legally....................so why would you expect me to 

[Aunt Sally]

ex-cavator,

Thank you for your superior knowledge in this instance.  Sorry we were so tardy in our duties.

[joyfull]

sorry as the chicken moderator I was on other duties hence missing this post, now changing my head as I am at work - we own an engineering company and use hydraulic oils etc so can confirm that yes it is illegal to flush this down the drain along with a lot of other substances. We have to use a licensced waste carrier and also as we registered for this are also subject to the environment agency visits.