Identifying and Fixing Fueling System Vulnerabilities

Everyone is familiar with the saying that “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” At a retail fueling site, the weakest point is oftentimes the infrastructure connections that link together the site’s fuel storage and dispensing systems. Whether the piping, tank sumps, dispensers, hoses, valves, multiports, spill containers, couplings and test boots are snapped, screwed or welded together, connection points are generally the first places where leak points potentially develop.

Leak points can cause damage to the fueling operation in two ways: 1) fugitive fuel might reach the forecourt and surrounding soil or groundwater, with the potential to create environmentally dangerous operating conditions, and 2) water might seep into underground storage tanks (USTs), fouling and degrading the fuel

The key, then, to help prevent both of these harmful scenarios is outfitting your fueling system with equipment that has been designed to reduce the chance that leaks will occur at connection points. To that end, OPW Retail Fueling has developed a complete family of components whose main duty is to help ensure a leak-free fueling system, one that is safer for operators, drivers and the environment. These components include:

• ElectroTite No-Drill Dry Sump: The patent-pending ElectroTite dry sump is manufactured with a vacuum-assisted Resin transfer Molding (RTM) process that creates consistent wall thickness and exceptionally smooth surfaces for an ultra-tight entry fitting surface. The ElectroTite’s no-drill, conduit-free construction enables all of its fittings and electrical wiring box to be factory-installed with no on-site drilling required.
• FibreTite Tank Sump: The FibreTite is the only tank sump that uses the RTM manufacturing process for an ultra-tight sealing surface. A stainless-steel ring and watertight sealing gasket also improve the sump’s sealing ability, which helps to prohibit the loss of fuel or intrusion of water.
• FibreTite Composite Spill Containment Multiport: The watertight FibreTite multiport has been designed to provide spill containment for UST fill pipes and vapor recovery risers, which can be prone to water intrusion. They are installed over the top of tank sumps to preserve access to the tank top and bung fittings.
• Rigid Entry Fittings (REF): This next-generation entry fitting has minimal exposed rubber, yet is designed to accommodate ground shifting and movement through its hard-shell exterior. Built-in sealing redundancy results in an entry fitting that further supports product containment and helps prevent water intrusion.

In the world of retail fueling, eliminating common leak points in the layout and construction of the fueling and storage system can result in a safer, more reliable and more efficient fueling operation. For those operators looking to make their fueling operations stronger, OPW Retail Fueling offers a complete portfolio of equipment that has been designed to help keep fuel contained and prevent water from intruding.