Underground Gasoline Fuel Tanks: Standards, Materials & Safety

When a customer pulls into a gasoline station to fill up their vehicle's fuel tank, the underground gasoline tanks provide that fuel. For overall safety, each fuel tank has specific standards that must be met.

Features

• Underground gasoline fuel tanks must be made of either steel, fiberglass reinforced plastic, or a combination of a steel interior and a plastic exterior shell. Piping that connects the tank to the fueling stations must consist of the same materials as well.

Considerations

• Along with the strong tank material, another barrier must be placed underneath to curb leakage contamination. The barrier must be strong enough to keep the leak contained until the monitoring system is activated for personnel to service the issue.

Significance

• The leak monitoring system, coupled with overflow alerts, gives the gasoline station the assurance that any problems with the system can be detected quickly. Many electronic systems shut down the flow of fuel if any leak or overflow is detected, keeping the area safe until it can be serviced.