BUND TESTING – WHY DO I NEED TO RETEST? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS?
In order to comply with current legislation, in particular the Water Pollution Act 1977, 1990, all bunds must pass an Integrity Test at least every 3 years.
This bunded storage unit will potentially contain the highest risk material in your facility. It therefore should be re-tested immediately to protect staff, visitors and the environment from a potentially harmful chemical leak.
Any leak from a tank within the bund would pollute the ground and groundwater. Not only does this put drinking water supplies at risk, but it has serious cost implications as the site clean-up costs and soil remediation can be significant and may not be covered by insurance.
It is advisable that bunds are maintained to the necessary standards so that they do not become an issue when the EPA carries out site inspections. A poorly maintained bund will draw attention and may result in corrective measures being enforced.
In addition, properly maintained bunds will pass a water retention test at the first time of asking – thereby saving time, money and minimising any disruption to production.
HOW CAN CHEMSTORE HELP ME COMPLY?
BUND TESTING – SERIVCE SPECIFICATIONS & COSTING
Project Costings – Large Concrete Bunds & Drum/Pallet Stores
SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS
The following notes are designed to give clear guidance on our Bund Testing Services including the Initial Site Inspection which determines whether bunds are suitable for testing.
Preliminary Bund Inspection
Bund Testing excludes
Important – Preparation for Bund Testing
Note: Chemstore can supply short/long rental units to ensure that all hazardous materials on site are securely stored during testing. Please call us and we will send details immediately.
Additional Information on Bund Testing
A bund is defined as a secondary containment facility designed to prevent leaking contents from contaminating the environment. In order to comply fully with the requirements of the Water Pollution Act 1997, 1990 it is imperative that bund integrity is tested on a regular basis.
A bund must be structurally strong enough to withhold the pressures exerted if it had to contain the full contents of the primary tank plus a factor of 10% volume (initially designated volume factor to recognise the presence of rainfall in external bunded areas). A bund must also be impervious to the liquid stored in the tank and to water, as this is the test medium used.
The standard protocols that apply to bund tests:
Whenever bund structures are in place, it is vital to test their integrity on a regular basis. Where entities have achieved IPC License accreditation, regular bund testing will be a condition of the license.
Important Notes
Testing Frequency: Bunds should be tested at least every three years. However, it be prudent to test more often in certain cases. These include; highly sensitive locations where pollution prevention is critical, in very aggressive environments with extremely hazardous materials or where an accident has occurred which may have damaged the bund.
Testing Period: Bunds are filled to the minimum capacity and monitored for loss after a 6-hour, 24-hour or 5-day test period
Material of Bund: Bunds must be structurally strong enough to withhold the pressures exerted.
Visual Inspection: Visual inspections at regular intervals of the bunded areas should be included in a planned maintenance schedule.
For further information, please contact our office at 061-327792.