Have you considered having your storage tanks inspected? Regular inspection and maintenance of storage tanks are critical to ensuring the durability and longevity of your tanks’ service life. Additionally, regular inspection will help you establish your tanks’ corrosion rates, minimize leaks into adjacent secondary tanks or groundwater, and identify these leaks early enough so you can arrange for prompt repairs.
You will also be better placed to minimize the chances of extreme tank performance failure as well as maintain optimally safe operating conditions for your tanks. You can achieve this level of detailed inspection by following the API (American Petroleum Institute) 653 standard.
Heartlandtankservices.com explains about its importance.
The API 653 Standard
API 653 is a component standard of the API 650 standard which state-approved inspectors use as a guideline in inspecting ASTs (Above-ground Storage Tanks) within the AST Act. This standard is founded in the knowledge of best tank engineering experts in the industry, which tank owners and experts created after fuel AST failures became so rampant in the United States in the ’80s. The damage – environmental and economical – that was caused by these AST failures demanded remedial measures to preventing further failures.
Therefore, in 1991, the tank industry published the API 653 standard as a maintenance procedure, which tank inspectors initially used for inspecting and maintaining fuel tanks. Over the years, however, both tank owners and state inspectors used this standard for general AST inspection and maintenance to evaluate tank fitness and operational soundness besides measuring the probability and rate of tank failure.
Tank Inspection
Only API 653 certified inspectors are allowed by law, as well as regulations in the tank industry, to formally inspect ASTs. Both EPA and the Fertilizer Institute ensure tank owners strictly adhere to this rule since the inspections require one to follow engineering principles in measuring tanks’ structural integrity.
API 653 inspections can either be in-service or out-of-service based on the tanks corrosion rates. Engage an experienced and certified inspector to help you maintain your performance of your tanks with regular API 653 inspection.
