Water in underground storage tank at south Edmonton gas station linked to car problems: Circle K

Cars that filled up at a south Edmonton gas station had a 50-50 mixture of water and fuel in the tanks, according to a dealership. Amanda Anderson reports.

Water in the underground storage tank of a south Edmonton Esso Circle K gas station is to blame for the issues drivers are reporting after filling up, says the company.

A spokesperson for Couche-Tard, which owns Circle K, says the Ellerslie Road and Summerside Drive location shut down its pumps and began investigating as soon as it became aware of water intrusion in the system.

“Our teams conducted standard checks and continued to monitor the situation. The site was taken offline to allow for further inspection, and subsequent comprehensive testing confirmed the presence of water in the system,” said a statement to CTV News Edmonton on Saturday.

“Unfortunately, we have heard from several customers who reported vehicle issues following a visit to this location. We regret the inconvenience this has caused and are actively supporting affected customers through our claims process, while continuing to address the underlying issue at the site.”

Multiple customers say they experienced issues with their vehicle earlier this week after getting gas from the station, some now unable to start their cars and facing thousands in repairs.

A Kross Mitsubishi service bay technician told CTV News Edmonton he’s worked on seven cars whose gas tanks have a mix of “about 50 per cent water and 50 per cent fuel.”

Crews at the Esso Circle K are now working to replace the fuel, clean the tanks, upgrade water detection components and repair the fill well, the company said.

The filters on the pumps have also been replaced and the station will re-open once the system has been checked by a third-party technician.

Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister for Service Alberta, says affected customers can file a complaint with consumer investigation online or by calling 1-877-4088 or locally at 780-427-4088.

Circle K said customers can contact customer service at 1-855-276-1947.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Karyn Mulcahy