Release detection is the regulatory heart of the UST program: it is the system that catches a leak before it becomes a plume, and the federal rule requires it to be proven functional every year.
What gets tested annually
Automatic tank gauge consoles and probes, in-tank sensors, sump and interstitial sensors, and mechanical or electronic line leak detectors. A proper visit tests function — not just that the console powers on, but that each sensor actually alarms when it should.
The console programming trap
A surprising share of failures are not hardware — they are consoles programmed wrong: wrong tank geometry, disabled alarms, deliveries recorded during leak-test windows. Our certification includes a programming review because a perfectly healthy ATG configured wrong is still a violation.
Records
Annual test records must be retained and produced at inspection. Ours arrive formatted for ADEM, with the next test date already on both calendars.