Hurricane season has officially begun. Subtropical storm Albert kicked off the 2018 hurricane season a bit earlier than normal (the official start of hurricane season being June 1st), making landfall in Florida the last week of May. From previous seasons, we now know that inland flooding is the biggest danger from hurricanes—both in regard to loss of life and property damage.
Last hurricane season, when Hurricane Irma was barreling toward Florida, we at Clean Fuels National reminded our readers that the Environmental Protection Agency had released a guide to help curtail the damages to Underground Storage Tank (UST) systems in the event of these unpredictable and devastating storms popping up. As a result, the Agency’s guide identified the four most major threats to UST systems: buoyancy, erosion, product displacement and electrical system damage (https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ustfloodguide.pdf).
Rising water levels underground have been known to lift USTs up and out of the ground—the seemingly immeasurable power of the water buckling the restraining power of the pavement as well as compromising the UST’s hold-down straps. This very nasty occurrence can cause pipe-rupture and product release. Moreover, add to this the fact that flash flooding can cause sudden erosion, thus exposing the tank and the tank’s support structures to additional damage due to its overall susceptibility.
Of course, USTs aren’t the only variety of fuel tanks which are vulnerable to the onslaught of hurricanes—Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs) are equally susceptible. Being above-grade as opposed to below it, ASTs are most vulnerable to condensation, microbial contamination, particulate and degraded or rancid fuels. In any event, some or all of these potential AST damages certainly more than add up, thus depleting on-hand fuel availability as well as service station bank ledgers.
It is in these moments of emergency—such as when a hurricane makes landfall—that emergency preparedness is key. In addition to urging our readers, our business partners and our customers to ensure their respective UST systems are protected and secure, it is also equally crucial that generator supplies are inspected at this time.
That said, is your generator system ready for action? Now is the time to be doubly sure.
Bad fuel will cause generator failure. And generator failures always happen at the worst, possible time—when the generator is actually needed. In other words, don’t wait until it’s an emergency!
If you do not have an inspection or maintenance schedule in place, then it is likely that your generator supply is not in the best health. A neglected tank is rarely a healthy tank. A healthy diesel supply doesn’t happen accidentally—it is the product of routine fuel sampling, fuel testing, and, when necessary, the occasional treatment of biocide complete with a full and rigorous tank cleaning. Clean Fuels National has assisted numerous hospitals, schools, and businesses in developing a maintenance schedule to inspect and monitor their generator supplies. Regular fuel sampling from the bottom of a tank will provide the best indication of the overall quality of the fuel within that tank. If the fuel is not clean and clear, trouble is definitely brewing. We at Clean Fuels National can help you identify those problems before they cause real damage. Give us a call and we can help you start building a maintenance schedule for your generator supply which makes sense for both your budget and your needs.
With hurricane season kicking off earlier than normal this year, now is the time to take a good, hard look at that generator tank of yours…and to give Clean Fuels National a call.
