§ 14a.26. Testing.
(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.
(d) If paragraphs (1)—(7) do not confirm the apparent loss, the daily inventory shall be continued with a daily independent verification. Additional surveillance of the facility should be engaged to insure against unauthorized removal of the product.
(e) Air pressure tests of tanks or piping containing flammable or combustible liquids are prohibited.
Source The provisions of this § 13.26 amended June 22, 1984, effective June 18, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 2131; transferred from 37 Pa. Code and renumbered as 34 Pa. Code § 14a.26, February 28, 2014, effective March 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 1233. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (259925) to (259927).
Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 14a.21 (relating to location); 34 Pa. Code § 14a.141 (relating to scope and application); 34 Pa. Code § 14a.151 (relating to scope and application); and 34 Pa. Code § 14a.161 (relating to general provisions).
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Code full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
