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Facility Location
The location of the facility must be considered in relation to drinking water wells, streams, ponds and ditches (perennial or intermittent), storm or sanitary sewers, wetlands, mudflats, sandflats, farm drain tiles, or other navigable waters. The distance to drinking water wells and surface water, volume of material stored, worse case weather conditions, drainage patterns, land contours, and soil conditions must also be taken into account.
Corrosion Control
ASTs should have corrosion protection for the tank. Options include elevating tanks, resting tanks on continuous concrete slabs, installing double-walled tanks, cathodically protecting the tanks, internally lining tanks, inspecting tanks according to American Petroleum Institute standard, or a combination of the options listed above. All underground piping to the tank should be double-walled or located above ground or cathodically protected so you can inspect it when it fails.
To maximize system safety, seal the floors, containment area, and sump pump pit with an appropriate coating (e.g., petroleum resistant coating). Any accumulated water should be inspected for petroleum or chemicals prior to discharge.
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Periodic Cleanup
Accumulated minor spillage, over time, may result in a film or sheen on collected rain water, making it unsuitable for discharge to the soil or drains. Periodic cleanup of the containment areas (e.g., sweeping with a broom and using limited absorbent) can prevent unnecessary dirt and contaminant buildup.
Registration Programs
Local jurisdictions may want to implement registration programs for exempt tanks, in order to exercise some oversight of their construction and operation. Furthermore, most states also require inspections for ASTs by fire marshals. Inspection programs can be expanded to cover water contamination issues.
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Preventing Evaporation
While not a preventative measure for source water protection, preventing evaporation has economic and air quality benefits. To keep out rain and reduce evaporation losses and moisture condensation, paint tanks a reflective color, install them in an east-west direction, install a low-pressure valve on top of the tank, and cover the structure. A roof structure covering a 10,000 gallon tank will conserve 600 to 1,000 gallons of gasoline per year, which would have escaped by evaporation without the shade cover.
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Looking for Training Materials?
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