At least ten motorists were stranded on Thursday evening after refueling in Poppel, Belgium, just across the border at Goirle. The drivers had filled up with water without noticing. This water had entered the reservoir of the gas station due to the heavy rain recently. On Facebook, affected motorists from Goirle warn each other about the water in the petrol pump.
According to owner Peter van Raak of the Van Raak gas station of the same name, the groundwater level has risen considerably, which has caused the problems. “Due to the pressure of the increased water level, water has entered one of the petrol storage areas. Petrol floats on water. The petrol is pumped up at the bottom to the car tank, but this turned out to be mainly water.”
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The result was that at least ten cars stopped doing anything after a few kilometers. This caused a lot of inconvenience for the drivers because they had to be towed away. The owner of the gas station wants to compensate the affected drivers. “I’m insured for that, so they can give me one email to steer.”
The ANWB says that cars with water in the tank do not go far. They also had to help several stranded motorists yesterday. If someone continues driving, there is a chance that the engine will break down. The ANWB’s advice is to have the tank pumped empty.
Van Raak is a family business with almost twenty gas stations along the Belgian border. “Unfortunately, we have experienced this three times before in our 56 years of existence. Closing edges become weathered under the ground, allowing water to enter. The storage in question is now being tackled. I hope it will work normally again early next week.”
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The gas station in Poppel has a total of twenty filling stations. Those using stations 15 and 16 on Thursday came to a standstill. “These are of course immediately closed for use,” says Van Raak.