So a recent deluge has left me with a flooded basement. My house was built in the early 19th century and we must be on the constant lookout for water seeping into the lower level. It started at around 7 inches two days ago, yesterday I got it down to basically nothing using a rented pump and a shopvac. This morning I went downstairs to have a look and it seems to have all but completely filled back up. Long damn day ahead of me.
My question has to do with oil removal. It seems that a good amount of oil leaked into the water, probably out of the furnace. The smell is strong and you can see it floating atop the water but it isn’t there in palpable chunks, just a thin disparate layer. There may also be kerosene in some places from a storage container that was overturned. I need to get the oil company in here to get the heat back on (been off for three days now), but I know if they think oil is leaking they will call hazmat which could end up in some huge financial problems. After I drain the water today I am going to try and get the oil up myself.
Any suggestions on the best way to go about this? I haven’t been able to find much on the topic other than sand and kitty litter. Any advice is welcome!