Storage tank inspections - where to start?
Dear Tank,
Those are great questions! Here are some things that will help you prepare.
Preparing for comprehensive storage tank inspections
Read it
Read and familiarize yourself with the storage tank rule. The Storage Tank Rule is part of Regulation 11, Colorado's Primary Drinking Water Regulations. You can follow the link above, or you can also find Regulation 11 on the Water Quality Control Commission's regulations webpage. (Storage Tank Rule is section 11.28).
Water systems are responsible for inspecting their tanks for sanitary defects and repairing them in a timely manner. Each system is expected to review their storage system infrastructure by performing quarterly periodic inspections along with at least one comprehensive inspection per tank every 5 years, following their written storage tank inspection plan.
Water systems are responsible for inspecting their tanks for sanitary defects and repairing them in a timely manner. Each system is expected to review their storage system infrastructure by performing quarterly periodic inspections along with at least one comprehensive inspection per tank every 5 years, following their written storage tank inspection plan.
Budget for it
This next step is critical. Remember to budget for your comprehensive storage tank inspection. Whether you choose to hire a contractor or complete the inspection yourself, the associated costs can be several thousand dollars or more depending on the tank, and may not be included in your system’s current budget. If you plan ahead, you won’t get caught unprepared for this expense!
The department considers immediate safety concerns to be of utmost importance. Inspecting tanks can be dangerous work. Please do not put yourself or your contractor at risk by planning ahead with respect to safety too.
Follow it
Next, read and adhere to the “Comprehensive inspection checklist instructions” and complete the “Comprehensive inspection checklist” found on our Drinking Water Storage Rule webpage. Read the instructions before you start.
If you hire a contractor to complete the inspection, be prepared to complete the comprehensive inspection checklist yourself based on the contractor's inspection report. The contractor might or might not complete this for you, depending on your agreement. Make sure to identify sanitary defects based on what is in the report.
Repair it
Repair all sanitary defects as quickly as you can, and document the repairs. This not only protects public health, it keeps you in compliance with the rule!
Remember to review the guidance documents for the rule. Drinking Water Policy 10 gives specific examples of storage tank sanitary defects.
Still have questions? Please contact your department inspector or Lead Drinking Water Engineer, Tyson Ingels at tyson.ingels@state.co.us.
-Aqua Man
Remember to review the guidance documents for the rule. Drinking Water Policy 10 gives specific examples of storage tank sanitary defects.
Contact us
Still have questions? Please contact your department inspector or Lead Drinking Water Engineer, Tyson Ingels at tyson.ingels@state.co.us.
-Aqua Man
