Removal of abandoned underground storage tanks is essential to prevent soil and water pollution and mitigate potential legal liabilities for property owners. Removing the tanks facilitates the redevelopment and safe reuse of properties, ensuring that new construction and land use are not compromised by the presence of potentially harmful underground infrastructure.

 

Frontwave Geophysics routinely employs a combination of two methods to locate a UST. Typically, the area of interest is first covered with an electromagnetic (EM) survey using a high-sensitivity metal detector or a ground conductivity meter. The EM technique allows for a rapid investigation of large areas. Any detected anomalies indicating the presence of large metallic objects are then investigated in detail using the ground penetrating radar (GPR). By analysing GPR reflection patterns in the anomalous area, the operator can confirm the presence of a tank and accurately identify its location, depth, and dimensions.

 

If the UST was previously removed, it is often possible to determine its former location. Ground disturbance from a past excavation can be identified in the GPR imagery many years after the tank has been removed.

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