How To Repair Plastic Sump Containments

Options for Fixing Leaking Sumps - Function 1: Keeping Water Out and Fuel In

Preventing water from infiltrating secondary containment has proven to be ane of our almost vexing operational problems. Some take the position that if water can leak in, fuel may leak out. Equally a result finding and stopping leaks in secondary containment devices have become a major operational trouble as pipe skilful Andy Youngs explains.

If groundwater tin can get into a sump, then gasoline in the sump can besides get out into the environs. Groundwater, which has leaked into a sump, could be contaminated with fuel, and therefore must be treated and tending of (in most jurisdictions) like hazardous waste. Shutting down a service station when a sump goes into alarm over groundwater intrusion is inconvenient and expensive. Several viable competing technologies are available to fix groundwater intrusion problems with sumps.

Incentive for dry sumps
All of the above are true statements. The author, during over ten years in the petroleum equipment industry, has never had a unmarried person dispute any of the higher up statements except the last one. And most manufacture experts concord now that the last argument to a higher place has become true over the last few years. The rush to comply with the 1998 EPA deadline is long over, and so one would have expected that the next wave of compliance work would be making sure that the secondarily-contained, upgraded systems remained fuel-tight from the inside and water-tight from the exterior. Slowly merely surely, this is outset to happen.

New regulations in Florida and California are asserting that a wet sump is a non-compliant sump. In the Midwest, where these types of specific regulations are not in place, regulators are focusing their attending more on in-place systems. Casey Smith of Phoenix Environmental, a Detroit, Michigan area firm, does the lion's share of the Detroit-area county and municipal fuel system work. Casey stated recently "In our area, the bulk of the work has shifted from compliance upgrades to inspections and maintenance of upgraded systems to ensure that they remain in compliance. Fifty-fifty where regulatory pressure level doesn't be, system owners are recognizing the long-term toll-effectiveness of making sure that their sumps stay dry."

New California Rules SB 989, State H2o Resource Control Board
A new regulation in California requires that secondary containment system be capable of preventing the arrival of the "highest groundwater predictable into the interstitial space during the life of the tank. SB 989 also requires that secondary containment systems installed later on during or after 2001 must be tested upon installation, six months later, and every 36 months thereafter. Secondary containment systems installed prior to 2001 must be tested by earlier the end of 2002 and every 36 months thereafter.

Past the end of 2002, the owner/operator of any secondary containment system that the possessor determines cannot be tested in accord with this section must be replace a organisation that tin can be tested in accord with this section.

Periodic testing must demonstrate that the organization performs at to the lowest degree equally well as information technology did upon installation. For example, if the secondary containment system was tested upon installation by using a test method that applied a force per unit area of 5 psi, then the periodic examination must exist conducted using a method that tests the system at an equivalent pressure.

Florida's environmental regulation (62-671) is a piffling more forgiving of groundwater intrusion. It requires that sumps be designed, synthetic and installed to minimize water entering the sump, but does require immediate notification upon presence of water in the sump, whether or not in that location is a sheen on the surface. Florida regulators have stepped up their efforts to ensure that sump systems are watertight as part of the country's ongoing effort on groundwater remediation and pollution prevention.

Sump Remediation Products and Services
And so if there is water in a sump, getting the h2o out and preventing information technology from re-entering is becoming a regulatory compliance task, besides as beingness environmentally friendly and, over the long-term, toll-effective. At this fourth dimension, in that location are four major suppliers of sump remediation products and or services:

• Sump Services, Inc. (SSI) of Oroville, CA supplies the Universal In-Service Repair Kicking, a split entry boot that can be installed over leaking entry boots, piping or conduit entries. SSI likewise supplies expanding foam to stop curt-term water intrusion for plenty time to allow a permanent set up to be installed, and has recently developed solutions for leaking sump seams besides.

• Total Containment, Inc. (TCI) of Oaks, PA supplies the TotalGard organisation, which includes watertight sump lid closure systems, and the process of installing a fiberglass sump liner inside of the existing sump.

• Unit Liner Company (Unit Liner) of Shawnee, OK supplies a polysulfide sealing system, which is used to build dispenser sumps nether dispensers, which exercise not have sumps, as well as to create a liner in existing sumps.

• H2o Block Technologies International, Inc. (Water Block) of Fort Worth, TX supplies a organization of an expanding foam placed outside of the sump for stopping water intrusion for a short menstruation, then an epoxy coating which is applied to the within of the sump to provide a longer-term fix. (H2o Cake Technologies declined to be interviewed for this commodity or to transport technical information - the information given here is gathered from their website and the author's experience with the product)

Within these four suppliers, 2 basic philosophies emerge - gear up just the particular expanse that is leaking (SSI, Water Block); or create an entire new containment liner (TCI, Unit Liner). Patently, the arroyo utilizing an unabridged new containment liner is more expensive initially - costs can run several thousand dollars per sump. Proponents of the entire new containment liner arroyo contend that this is the best manner to ensure that not only are the currently leaking components fixed, but that potential leak points are prevented from leaking in the future.

Proponents of the fix but what is leaking philosophy contend that this becomes the most cost effective way to deal with water intrusion into sumps - one can fix only what is currently leaking - but, if desired, one can go ahead and place the permanent water intrusion set up on not-leaking components as a hedge confronting time to come leaks.

All 4 systems have in common that station reanimation and disruption is minimal - and if concrete is not cut and lines are non broken, there are usually no permitting costs and hassles to deal with. All four systems accept a off-white number of major oil customers. The major oil firms have been at the most agile in efforts to maintain dry sumps and foreclose potentials for environmental damage, and all 4 of these systems accept major oil users and proponents.

Sump Services, Inc.
Russ Perry, Vice-President of Operations for SSI, states that the SSI system provides a quick, relatively inexpensive and permanent solution to leaking entry boots, pipe and conduit entries. "Our experience", states Perry, "is that the overwhelming majority of h2o intrusion problems in sumps come from leaking entry boots. Nearly of these boots are made from nitrile rubber, which the Air Force will not permit to be used more than ten years after manufacture - even if its been in a sealed pocketbook on a shelf that whole fourth dimension. Then even if your boots aren't leaking now - they probably will! Fortunately, we accept a cost-effective solution for leaking boots."

			A split clamshell fittings which environs the existing penetration fitting. Photograph courtesy of Sump Services, Inc.

Completed installation. Photo courtesy of Sump Services, Inc.

SSI's organization involves taking a flexible entry kicking, which has been split, and placing it over the existing pipe or conduit entry, and over whatsoever existing flexible entry boot. There are a large number of sizes bachelor, which tin work every bit packaged or be modified to remediate nearly any flexible entry boot or pipe size placed on the market in the final ten years. After placing the split boot around the pipe, it is bonded together and fastened to the sump wall. A custom pneumatic sealant delivery gun places a moisture-cured sealant at high pressure into the kicking, sealing it and any leaks or holes information technology is roofing.

"With the SSI repair kick", states Perry, "you never have to intermission a product line - there is no permitting and the station is never shut down. The average site can be remediate by two workers in a solar day, at reasonable cost. Our sealant is manufactured to stringent Federal standards, and is water, fuel and alcohol resistant. SSI keeps your costs low by allowing yous to fix but what is leaking - although placing repair boots over all boots in a sump one time yous are in there can certain be cheap insurance."

Total Containment, Inc.

Tony Adamson, Vice-President of Marketing for TCI, states that, although they often do a full sump liner retrofit, that TCI's system approach tin can exist customized to the private situation. "We exercise what needs to be washed", states Adamson, "but you lot have to make sure that you compare apples to apples. Although leaking bulkheads may found a big portion of leaks, we believe that is only one of five main places where water tin get into the sump. The TCI system addresses each of those five points."

The TCI system involves replacing leaking bulkheads outset - which does require breaking product lines, as does the sump lining process - but in a not-blending location there is normally no downtime and minimal disruption. A sump liner can be installed, and the "top hat" on fiberglass sumps either properly fiberglassed or replaced. One cardinal feature of the organisation, according to TCI, is the retrofit of a watertight lid closure arrangement onto the sump.

"Unfortunately," says Adamson, "station and maintenance personnel take to remove sump lids frequently, and they are often non reinstalled properly. We set out to develop a watertight sump closure organization which would remain watertight subsequently many, many openings and closings." Another key characteristic of the TCI organisation, co-ordinate to Adamson, is that all safety-based and critical components are placed on the within of the sump - then they are easily inspected, and replaced if damaged.

Merely perhaps the nigh insidious cause of h2o in the sumps, every bit pointed out past Adamson, is h2o coming into the sumps through the electrical conduit. Conduit is non watertight, and then high groundwater results in h2o inbound the sump via the conduit itself. Sealants applied to the inside of the conduit to form a plug against water intrusion are specified past several of the major oils. TCI will soon announce what information technology feels is an even better set up for existing locations.

Unit Liner Company
Steve Benfield, National Sales Manager for Unit Liner, states that ane of the major advantages of his firm'south organization is its inherent flexibility. "Near h2o leaks", states Benfield, regardless of what components they come through, take in common that they were acquired to some caste by ground movement. Our system is very flexible, and can take a great deal of ground movement without compromising the integrity of the containment."

			Beginning phase of lining a sump with a flexible polysulphide elastomer. Photo courtesy of Unit Liner, Inc.

The Unit liner Company system involves placing a polysulfide liner over the entire interior of a tank sump. In a dispenser sump, the liner is placed only six-eight inches deep and effectively forms a dispenser pan. The liner polymer is highly resistant to fuels, water alcohols and MTBE, co-ordinate to Benfield. "Our fabric bonds very well to fiberglass", he states, "but bonding to polyethylene has e'er proven hard. Nosotros have developed a special material which is applied to polyethylene every bit a double faced record, which will bail to both the polyethylene sump and any fiberglass or polysulfide nosotros place over it."

Completed flexible sump liner. Photo courtesy of Unit Liner, Inc.

This system is installed without breaking lines, and unremarkably requires no permitting, and little to no downtime, according to the manufacturer.

Water Cake Technologies
Perhaps the get-go business firm to try to accost water intrusion in sumps in any manner other than replacing the sump and/or entry boots, Water Block Technologies provides an inexpensive, curt-term solution to water intrusion. An advantage of this organization is that it tin exist utilized for nigh whatever type of trouble - leaking seams, a vertical scissure in the sump wall, etc. And with no product lines broken, it can be utilized with no shutdown or permitting, in most instances.

The H2o Block system consists of expanding polyurethane foam, which is injected outside of the sump. This foam material expands during cure and reduces or eliminates water pressure for long plenty for the application of a two-function moisture-insensitive epoxy resin system to the interior of the sump. This system is relatively inexpensive, and works best on fiberglass sumps to which the epoxy coating can adhere. The expanding cream portion of the system can exist supplied with or without accelerator to provide improved installation properties depending on the detail situation.

Several pipe and sump system manufacturers offer systems similar to those marketed past Water Cake. At that place are several other approaches to making repairs that I will discuss in a futurity article. I will also hash out methods of testing sumps to decide if they leak.

OK, Professor, Then Which One Do I Utilize?
Although the author has worked with or seen in place all of the systems described here, stating that i or the other is the best is just not possible. Each site will have a unique combination of groundwater conditions, equipment installation differences, regulatory environment, and last but non least economical concerns. Each of the four systems presented accept significant advantages in certain situations.

I of the main goals of this first article of two articles was to ensure that nosotros all sympathise that a moisture sump is a potentially polluting sump and that in that location are several viable technologies available for remediation wet sumps, some of which are not included in this article. System owners are encouraged to requite alternatives a try, find out which i works best for them, so keep your sumps dry!

But I've got a 30-year warranty!
In the early 1990's, the fiercely competitive market for equipment led to a warranty escalation in underground piping systems. Manufacturer's warranties grew from ane year to xxx years, and in many instances began to include labor costs too as replacement equipment costs. Some of these warranties fifty-fifty cover h2o intrusion into sumps. So as a system owner, you lot option the best warranty, make sure the company that's backing it is solid, have that system installed and slumber easy at nighttime for the next thirty years. Do you lot accept water in a sump? No problem. Simply call i-800-SUPPLIER and they'll deal with it totally.

Well, the reality is not and so neat and convenient. A number of owners, distributors and contractors have voiced the same concerns time subsequently time - and not nearly just one arrangement or manufacturer - this concern goes pretty much across the board. The problem is that the warranties (and rightly and so) only comprehend defects in materials and workmanship of the products. If they are not installed properly, they tin can't part properly, and therefore there is no warranty. So when there is water in your sump and you lot phone call 1-800-SUPPLIER, here'south what usually happens, according to these sources:

Supplier representative contacts distributor who sold the job and asks them to become inspect the site. Supplier technical representative may or may not attend this first inspection.

At the site, everyone looks in and agrees - "yup, there sure is h2o in there", and the questions most installation do commence. The installation contractor at this bespeak insists that they were certified/trained installers, and they did everything right. Supplier generally asserts that this is the starting time case like this they've ever seen, unless the organisation was poorly installed.

A appointment is set for supplier technical representative (visitor employee or authorized contractor) to come audit the site and try to fix it. Owner and/or installation contractor is responsible for pumping the water out of the sump and disposing of it, also every bit providing supplier technical representative with boosted labor, tools, etc. which might be needed, and perhaps also pumping downwards the water table (which, due to the wet sump, the astute local regulator may require this water to al be dealt with as hazardous). And so to get to the point at which the problem tin be fixed and fault assigned, owner is out several hundred to several k dollars.

Problem is generally fixed (the piping/sump system suppliers have become quite good at dealing with unremarkably encountered problems - they may accept to come back one more fourth dimension to button up a minor leak, but they can normally fix it), utilizing i of the technologies discussed in this article.

Then the wrestling over what caused information technology ensues. If the supplier asserts that its installation error (it often is, but proving whether its bad product or bad installation is not an easy task for the owner), and the site is more than than one yr old (nigh contractor warranties are but one year), so the owner picks upward the entire cost of the fix. If the supplier does detect it to be a defective product, then supplier picks upward the whole tab, including the costs initially borne by the owner for pump-out, etc.

The point of all this is not to be negative about the suppliers - suppliers in this industry accept to make good products and stand behind them, or they don't survive. And installation fault is not uncommon, by any means. But owners need to be enlightened that a thirty year warranty with labor is no substitute for proper installation do, and that choice of installation contractor, pick of hole-and-corner system, and choice of method to ensure proper installation are all equally important - you lot tin't ignore or underestimate the importance of any of the three.

Andy Youngs prov+B697ides consulting services to the petroleum and plastics industries through his firm, Leading Edge Engineering science Corporation, in Granger, Indiana. 1 of his clients is Weaver Manufacturing. Andy is the quondam Vice President of Engineering for APT, Inc.