That's exactly what happened to some families living in Southeast Raleigh.
The problem was a couple of huge underground strorage tanks left behind from an old gas station.
The tanks are believed to be the culprit for tainted water in the neighborhood for the past 20 years.
The work going on Monday where the old gas station once stood could change lives.
Crews prepared to dig up the two 8,000-gallon storage tanks that some residents believe are responsible for their contaminated wells.
Crews from a company called Groundwater Management checked for petroleum vapors in the two underground tanks that used to hold gasoline. If any gas is in the tanks, the geologists said the dry ice they dropped into the tanks will push the gas fumes out.
The owner of the property hired the company to remove the tanks about a month ago. Meanwhile, at least three wells in the area have come up contaminated.
Wake Co. Environmental Services told the homeowners the water contained two cancer-causing chemicals and should not be consumed.
Resident Jerry Price is glad the tanks are coming out of the ground. But he wondered why it took so long.
"We want it addressed the way it should have been addressed 16 years ago," Price said.
The work of testing the soil and digging up the tanks was expected to last all day Monday.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
