DE PERE (NBC 26) — The De Pere BP station that inadvertently sold water-tainted fuel to customers Monday afternoon has determined the cause of the accident.
An investigation by Tanknology this week found the issue to be a failure to lock the caps and wires of the fuel tanks properly, District Manager Nicole Engels said. As a result, water seeped into the tank during the rainstorm on Aug. 14, and then customers pumped the mix of water and gasoline into their vehicles.
The company that provides routine maintenance to the tanks, which Engels would not name, was found at fault.
The station has now re-opened for normal operations.
"We did have all the fuel drained, everything cleaned, and then the State came on Wednesday, later that day, [and] did their inspection as well," Engels said. "And then we got a pass to have fuel truck to back in. And everything seems to be working great."
How water damage affects vehicles
Customers who visited the station on Dickinson Road to fill up their tanks between roughly 2:30 and 5 p.m. Monday may have been affected by the water, Engels said.
Mechanic Eric Krysheski said people with water contamination in their fuel tanks will likely realize it quickly.
"You'll get [engine] sputtering and poor performance; it depends upon the amount of water," Krysheski said. "In most cases, it won't even start."
Krysheski, who owns Eric's Automotive Service in Green Bay, said the fixed times and prices for a water-damaged car can vary greatly.
"In one car it could take an hour and a half to get the fuel pump out or access the fuel tank," Krysheski said. "In others, it could take four or five hours."
The bill for four or five hours of labor alone could cost a customer $600.
"It can get real expensive, real fast," Krysheski said.
How De Pere BP customers can get reimbursed for car trouble
Engels extended an offer in a De Pere Facebook group to victims of the water leak: bring us your car repair bill, and we will cover it.
If customers can prove they bought gasoline from the station Monday afternoon via receipt, bank statement, or identifying their vehicle on security cameras, they are eligible. Then the customer can simply bring their car inspection sheet to the BP station, and Engels will send the information up the "proper chain of commands."
"We have had a few customers so far bring in all their claims," Engels said. "Unfortunately we know how insurance companies work, so it's gonna take awhile."
Engels said she chose to be honest and transparent about the problem because the community gives back to her station.
"Our De Pere customers are very loyal," she said. "It's a great community. They're very supportive and understand that accidents happen."
