310 CMR 80.16
Installation Requirements
(1) No UST system shall be installed except by a person who has been certified to install that
type of UST system in writing by the UST system manufacturer. The installation shall include,
but shall not be limited to, compliance with the manufacturer's specifications and all items on
the manufacturer’s checklist(s).
(a) The installer shall certify that the UST system was installed in accordance with the
manufacturer’s specifications and that the installer complied with all items on the
manufacturer’s installation checklist(s).
(b) The Owner or Operator shall maintain a copy of the certifications in 310 CMR 80.16(1)
and 80.16(1)(a), manufacturer's specifications and completed checklist(s) in accordance with
310 CMR 80.36.
(c) The Owner shall submit the installer certification(s) from the manufacturer(s) and the
installer’s certification in 310 CMR 80.16(1)(a), in accordance with 310 CMR 80.23(1)(b).
(d) A new double-walled tank may be installed inside an existing tank, if the new double-
walled tank meets the requirements of 310 CMR 80.17 and does not rely on the existing tank
to provide structural integrity or as a tank wall and:
1. Prior to installing the new double-walled tank, the Owner or Operator shall have all
the solid and liquid material removed from the existing UST system, in accordance with
310 CMR 80.47, have the existing UST system rendered inert and shall secure all
openings. The Owner or Operator shall manage all solid and liquid material removed
from the UST system in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and
regulations.
2. Conduct an assessment in accordance with 310 CMR 80.43(4) before the new
double-walled tank is installed. If the assessment finds contamination requiring
notification pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0000, Massachusetts Contingency Plan, the
installation of the new tank shall not commence until the Owner or Operator has
complied with the notification requirements contained in 310 CMR 40.0300: Notification
of Releases and Threats of Release of Oil and Hazardous Materials; Identification and
Listing of Oil and Hazardous Materials, as applicable, and any required response actions
under 310 CMR 40.0000.
3. Notify the Department that a new double-walled tank is being installed inside an
existing tank, in a format specified by the Department, within 30 days of the new tank
being installed. A copy of the assessment in 310 CMR 80.43(4) shall be submitted with
said form.
(2) The installation of all UST systems, including anchoring of the tank, shall be carried out in
accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, listed engineering practices, and the
provisions of 310 CMR 80.14 through 80.22. In lieu of the requirements at 310 CMR 80.16(9)
through (16), Owners and Operators may use military construction criteria, such as Unified
Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-460-01, Petroleum Fuel Facilities, when designing, constructing, and
installing UST systems with field-constructed tanks over 50,000 gallons capacity.
(3) Any damage to the exterior of a tank or its coating shall be repaired before the tank is
covered.
(4) The Tank and Piping Shall Pass the following Tests Prior to Burial.
(a) The tank and the interstitial space shall be tested by air pressure not less than three
pounds and not more than five pounds per square inch. If the interstitial space contains
liquid, testing shall comply with the manufacturer’s specifications.
(b) The piping shall be hydrostatically tested (or by air pressure) to 150% of the maximum
anticipated pressure of the piping system, but not less than 50 pounds per square inch gauge
of the highest point of the piping system.
(c) The Owner shall provide the test results to the professional engineer conducting the
inspection in accordance with 310 CMR 80.16(6).
(5) After installation, backfilling and surfacing to grade, the tank and piping shall pass a
tightness test in accordance with 310 CMR 80.32.
(6) All UST systems shall be inspected by the person who prepares the drawings or as-built
plans in accordance with 310 CMR 80.16(7), or their designated representative, prior to being
backfilled, to ensure the UST system is installed in accordance with 310 CMR 80.14 through
80.22. If the person who prepares the drawing or as-built plans, or their designated
representative, determines the UST system is not installed in accordance with 310 CMR 80.14
through 80.22, the UST system shall not be backfilled until the Owner or Operator of the UST
system complies with all requirements at 310 CMR 80.14 through 80.22.
(7) The Owner or Operator shall maintain a scaled drawing or a set of as-built plans prepared
by the installer who installed the UST system or a registered professional engineer until the UST
system is removed or permanently closed in accordance with 310 CMR 80.43(2) or (3) and shall
submit a copy of the as-built plans to the Department in accordance with 310 CMR 80.23(1).
The scaled drawing or as-built plans shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) A locus plan or location map showing the location of the UST facility and the global
positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the UST system(s). The plan or map shall include,
but not be limited to, the location of any public well, private well, if readily ascertainable,
and any body of surface water within 500 feet of the UST facility. All drinking water wells
shall be clearly marked on the plan or map.
(b) A site plan of the UST facility including, but not limited to, the location of each UST
system and all buildings.
(c) UST system details including, but not limited to, a list of UST components (including
manufacturer and model number), schematics of the tanks, piping, and turbine, intermediate
and dispenser sumps, elevations of each tank and related piping below the final surface grade
and a materials list.
(d) A signed statement by the licensed professional engineer who signed and sealed the
as-built plans that the UST system was installed in accordance with 310 CMR 80.00, the
manufacturer’s specifications and the manufacturer’s checklist.
(8) The Owner shall submit a registration to the Department within 30 days of the initial
introduction of regulated substance into an UST system on a form specified by the Department,
in accordance with 310 CMR 80.23(1), except Owners of UST systems used solely for
emergency spill or overflow containment shall submit a registration to the Department within
30 days of installation.
(9) If the manufacturer's specifications do not specify the type of backfill material, the Owner
or Operator shall comply with one of the following:
(a) API Recommended Practice 1615, 6th Edition, April 2011, Installation of Underground
Petroleum Storage Systems; or
(b) PEI Recommended Practice 100-17, 2017, Recommended Practices for Installation of
Underground Liquid Storage Systems.
(10) At any fueling facilities where tanks are at an elevation which produces a gravity head on
the dispensing unit, the tank outlet shall be equipped with a device, such as a solenoid valve,
positioned adjacent to, and downstream from, the outlet of the tank that is installed and adjusted
so that liquid cannot flow by gravity from the tank in case of piping or hose failure when the
dispenser is not in use.
(11) Underground piping and underground vent lines shall be installed in a trench. If the
manufacturer's specifications specify a different standard for installing piping and vent lines, the
Owner and Operator may comply with the manufacturer's specification in lieu of 310 CMR
80.16(11). The Owner or Operator shall keep records of the standard in accordance with
310 CMR 80.36.
(12) A minimum six-inch-deep bed of well-compacted noncorrosive material such as clean
washed sand or gravel shall be placed in a trench before the piping is installed, unless otherwise
directed by the manufacturer's specifications. All trenches shall be wide and deep enough to
permit at least six inches of noncorrosive backfill material surrounding all lines, unless otherwise
directed by the manufacturer's specifications. The owner or Operator shall keep records of the
Manufacturer’s specification in accordance with 310 CMR 80.36.
(13) All piping shall lead from the tops of tanks, and the tops of all tanks shall be below the
level of the lowest horizontal pipe used in the connection therein, except where the design
specifically prevents a possible siphoning condition.
(14) All pipes used for the conveyance of flammable liquid shall decline to tanks without traps
or pockets, and shall be protected against damage. Intermediate sumps installed to allow piping
to decline to tanks shall not be considered a trap or pocket provided the intermediate sump is
monitored for leakage and is accessible for repairs and inspections. Piping drops from
submerged pumps to allow piping decline to the tank shall not be considered a trap. Siphon lines
shall be exempt from 310 CMR 80.16(14).
(15) A double elbow swing joint or flexible connector listed for underground applications shall
be installed at all locations where piping changes direction from horizontal to vertical or from
vertical to horizontal. If the manufacturer's specifications specify a different standard, the Owner
and Operator may comply with the manufacturer's specification in lieu of 310 CMR 80.16(15).
The Owner or Operator shall keep records of the standard in accordance with 310 CMR 80.36.
(16) Pressurized systems shall be designed or equipped so that no part of the system will be
subjected to pressures above its allowable working pressure in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications.
(17) A permanent dewatering well for the purpose of dewatering the tank grave in order to
conduct repairs of the UST system may be installed if the well is seated in the tank grave and the
well seals are designed and constructed to prevent migration of fluids from the ground surface
into the borehole.
(a) The following seals are all required and shall be designed and constructed as follows:
1. Annular Seals.
a. Annular seals shall be placed in the annular space between the well casing and the
borehole wall and above the divider seal.
b. Annular seals shall consist of a low permeability material that will serve to inhibit
the vertical movement of fluids within the annular space.
c. An annular seal shall be composed of one or a combination of the following
sealants: neat cement, bentonite/cement slurries, or equivalent sealing agents.
2. Divider Seals.
a. Divider seals shall consist of a layer of bentonite slurry or pellets designed to
prevent the annular seal materials from plugging up the screened area of the well.
b. Divider seals shall be placed above the material surrounding the well screen and
below the annular seal.
3. Surface (Apron) Seal.
a. A surface seal around the top of the well is required even if the annular seal is
carried to the surface.
b. A surface seal shall be concrete.
c. A surface seal shall be shaped so that surface water flows away from the well
casing.
d. Based on site conditions, the surface seal shall extend, at a minimum, to the
bottom of the tank pad, and in no event less than one foot below grade to prevent
frost-heaving of the apron.
(b) Dewatering wells and seals shall be maintained so as to prevent storm water and/or
regulated substances from entering the subsurface as long as the dewatering well is in place.
(18) The Owner or Operator shall keep a copy of the installer's certifications, manufacturer's
specifications and completed checklist(s), records of all testing results and inspections conducted
during the installation and the accurate drawing or as-built plans in accordance with 310 CMR
80.36.