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How to Install a Service Station Storage Tank

Underground storage tanks are used for a wide variety of purposes in a service station. The largest tanks store fuel such as gasoline and diesel. Other tanks serve as waste depositories for used engine oil or other toxic automotive chemicals. Keeping the tank contents from seeping into the ground water is an important part of installing an underground storage tank. Testing the ground before installation creates a good baseline reading of the soil̵7;s purity. Frequent testing after installation checks the tanks integrity and keeps the local ground water safe.

Things You'll Need

Soil recovery auger
Sample container
Excavator
6 pieces of steel sheeting, 2 feet longer and wider than your tank
Tank
Pipes
Steel beams

Instructions

- 1
  Insert the soil recovery auger into the earth where you tank will be installed. Remove a core sample of the soil and place the soil into the sample container. Send the sample to a soil laboratory.
- 2
  Dig a hole 2 feet longer and 2 feet wider than your tank. Dig the hole 6 feet deeper than the tank height.
- 3
  Place one steel sheet at the bottom of the hole with the excavator. Place the other four sheets around the sides of the hole to create an underground box. Set one steel sheet aside.
- 4
  Center the tank in the hole. Pour dirt into the sides of the hole to support the sides of the tank. Add the pipes in the proper configuration for the use of the tank. If the tank is designed for fuel, one hole allows fuel to fill the tank, while another gives access to the pump. If the tank is a holding tank for waste, a single hole allows access for both dumping and removal of waste product.
- 5
  Place the steel girders every two feet over the top of the tank. Cover with the last steel sheet.
- 6
  Fill in the hole with some of the dirt left from excavation.

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