Checked against the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) on 15 October 2026. Published by MDG Services on 24 October 2026.
What MDG requires
| Situation | What MDG requires | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Each tanker compartment, before decanting | Dip it and test it for water with water finding paste | MDG 1.2(vii) |
| Ethanol-blended petrol | A suitable paste for that test | MDG 1.2(vii) |
| Outlet tanks, every day | Record the water dip daily in the stock register (the morning dips are recorded separately); report any water at once to the controlling company office | MDG 1.4.1(b) MDG 1.3 |
| Company maintenance visit | The maintenance representative checks the underground tanks for water on every visit; steps are taken to remove any found | MDG 4.4 |
| After water is removed from an ethanol-blended tank | Check the ethanol content before release; if it is outside the desired range, stop sales and tell the controlling office | MDG 4.3(c) |
Water found in a tanker compartment is handled on short dip and water.
MDG names no brand or type of paste and gives no way to apply it, no waiting time and no ethanol range. Ask your oil company. General practice, not an MDG rule: many dealers coat the end of the dip rod with paste for the daily dip.
Why a suitable paste for ethanol blends
General knowledge, not MDG text: ethanol mixes with water, so in a blend some water can stay dissolved or separate as a water-and-ethanol layer (phase separation), and a paste made for plain fuel may not react the same way. MDG gives no reason.
After water is found in an ethanol-blended tank
The steps are on water in the underground tank: report the water at once MDG 1.4.1(b), have it removed MDG 4.4, then check the ethanol content before release MDG 4.3(c). If it is outside the desired range, stop sales and tell the controlling office MDG 4.3(c). MDG does not give the desired range or say who does the check; ask your oil company. For the full tanker order, see receiving a tanker.
Questions dealers ask
01What is water finding paste?
MDG uses the term MDG 1.2(vii) without defining it. General knowledge, not MDG text: it is a paste put on a dip rod that reacts where the rod touches water, so the water line can be seen.
02Which water finding paste is used for ethanol-blended petrol?
MDG requires a suitable paste and says no more MDG 1.2(vii). Ask your oil company which one it accepts.
03Is there a separate water finding paste for diesel?
MDG sets no separate paste for diesel: it requires water finding paste in every compartment of a tank lorry, whatever the product MDG 1.2(vii). Confirm the paste with your oil company.
04How is ethanol content tested?
Annexure 7 refers to the BIS specifications for the method: IS 2796 for E5 and E10, IS 17586 for E12 and E15, and IS 17021 for E20, latest revisions. It lists no test steps itself MDG Annexure 7. Check the current version of each standard.
Read the official text: Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (PDF on Bharat Petroleum's website) (also published on iocl.com).
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