Pennsylvania Code › Title 34 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY › Part I - Department of Labor and Industry › Chapter 14a - STORAGE AND USE OF FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS › Subchapter A - GENERAL PROVISIONS › UNDERGROUND STORAGE › Section 14a.26 - Testing

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) Before being
					 covered or placed in use, tanks and the piping connected thereto shall be
					 tested for tightness. Tanks shall be tested hydrostatically, by air pressure,
					 or by other methods approved by the fire marshal, at not less than 3 psig nor
					 more than 5 psig When the vertical length of the fill and vent pipes is such
					 that when filled with liquid the static head imposed upon the bottom of the
					 tank exceeds 10 psig, the tank and related piping shall be tested
					 hydrostatically to a pressure equal to the static head thus imposed. This test
					 shall be maintained for at least 30 minutes with no drop in pressure or for a
					 sufficient time to complete visual inspection of all joints and
					 connections.
(b) When seepage or
					 vapors in the vicinity of an underground tank, or an accumulation of water in
					 the tank, or if the proximity of the tank to an area of unconfined flammable or
					 combustible liquids or vapors indicate a tank as an obvious or likely source,
					 or where unexplainable losses exceed ¾ of 1.0% of the average monthly
					 receipts, the fire marshal shall be notified and he may require the immediate
					 testing of the tanks. Such testing shall be by approved methods of "standpipe"
					 testing or an approved testing device capable of detecting leaks as small as
					 .05 gallons in one hour, adjusted for variables. Costs attendant to such tests
					 shall be the responsibility of the owners of the tanks. Test records shall be
					 kept for a period of at least 1 year.
(c) In those cases where daily inventory
					 records indicate unexplainable losses exceeding ¾ of 1.0% of the average
					 monthly receipts, the following steps shall be taken in an expeditious manner
					 prior to tank testing.
(1) The inventory
					 record shall be rechecked for error.
(2) If no error is apparent, an independent
					 calculation of apparent loss shall be made starting from a point in time where
					 the records indicate a no loss condition.
(3) If paragraph (2) confirms an apparent
					 loss, the readily accessible physical facilities on the premises shall be
					 carefully inspected for evidence of leakage.
(4) If paragraph (3) does not disclose a
					 leak, the dispensing devices used for the particular product involved in the
					 apparent loss shall be checked for calibration.
(5) If paragraph (4) does not explain the
					 loss, and if the piping system can be tested without the need for excavation,
					 the piping system between the storage tank and dispensers shall be tested under
					 §
												14a.58 (relating to testing).
If it is necessary to excavate to perform a piping test,
						such a test shall be conducted after a storage tank test has been performed
						under subsection (b).
(6) If
					 paragraph (5) does not disclose a leak, the storage tanks shall be tested for
					 tightness under subsection (b).
(7)
					 If any of the tests in paragraphs (1) to (6) or investigations indicate the
					 source of the loss, the owner shall take immediate action to correct the system
					 failure.