Have you heard of an underground storage tank? It is possible that you may never hear of them unless you are interested in having one installed. Here are some things you may need to know about these tanks.

What Is an Underground Storage Tank?

According to the federal government, an underground storage tank is a single tank or system of tanks that are connected using underground piping. The tanks have to have at least 10% of their total volume underground. There are no less than 553,000 underground storage tanks in the United States, and they are used to store different chemicals, including petroleum and other hazardous chemicals. You will also find others that are used for residential storage purposes. An underground storage tank system comprises of three parts: the tank, an underground network of pipes, and underground ancillary equipment.

Types of Underground Storage Tanks

There are four primary types of underground storage tanks. These include steel or aluminum tanks. Such tanks are made using either steel or aluminum. Each tank should comply with the Steel Tank Institute. Apart from that, you can also have composite overwrapped tanks. These are also made using aluminum/steel, but they feature a plastic or carbon compound wrapped around the metal cylinder.

The third type of tank is a composite tank wrapped with metal liners. These tanks are manufactured using composite material, carbon fiber, or fiberglass, and they feature a metal liner. Lastly, you will find composite tanks with carbon fibers as tank liners for water systems. These are carbon fiber tanks that are lined with polymer.

Regulation of the Underground Storage Tank System

The EPA first created a set of regulations to control the use of underground storage tanks in 1984. These regulations were put in place in an attempt to control petroleum releases, which can be quite expensive and difficult to clean up. If you are looking to install your own underground storage tank, you should also check with your state to see if there are any other specific requirements like tank liners for water systems that may be stricter than the ones put in place by the federal government. To ensure you are being compliant with all regulations, you should get in touch with a local regulatory agency.

These are some of the things you need to know about underground storage tanks. It’s important to ensure that you understand the regulations around these tanks if you are looking to install one. Get in touch with us today if you need help with underground storage tank installation or are interested in tank liners for water systems.