Underground tanks at a petrol pump: how they are built and tested

Short answer

A petrol pump keeps its fuel in buried, gas-tight tanks outside any building, set in a masonry or concrete pit packed with sand, earth or clay (some tested welded tanks need no pit), with fill and dip pipes to near the bottom and a separate vent pipe at least 4 metres high Petroleum Rules 2002, Form XIV, conditions 1, 2, 4 and 5. A new, shifted or repaired tank is tested by water pressure before use Petroleum Rules 2002, rule 126, and CPCB's guidelines for new petrol pumps ask for a leak test of all underground tanks and pipelines every 7 years CPCB new pump guidelines 7 Jan 2020, B.4.

MDG Services makes Dealer Kavach, an app for petrol pump dealers, so this page comes from the maker of a product it may mention. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, fees and guidelines change and differ by oil company and state: every fact here names its source and the date we checked it, so confirm it with the oil company or the authority before you act. We do not sell, allot or arrange dealerships or licences.

Facts checked on 9 November 2026. Published by MDG Services on 9 November 2026.

The tank lies out of sight under the forecourt, so safety depends on how it is fitted and tested. All as on 9 November 2026.

How is the tank fitted?

Part	What the licence conditions say
Tank and pit	Gas-tight, outside any building, in a masonry or concrete pit packed round with sand, earth or clay so no air space is left; a welded tank tested to 0.25 kg per square centimetre and buried on private or leased land, at least 1.5 metres from the boundary, needs no pit Petroleum Rules 2002, Form XIV, conditions 1 and 2
Fill and dip pipes	Carried down nearly to the bottom; no other openings except to fill, ventilate or dip Petroleum Rules 2002, Form XIV, condition 4
Vent pipe	One for each tank, to open air, at least 4 metres high and 4 metres from adjoining property or the nearest opening of the sales room Petroleum Rules 2002, Form XIV, condition 5; joined to another tank's vent only with written sanction since 4 March 2024 G.S.R. 154(E), 4 Mar 2024

How is a tank tested?

After it is installed, re-installed or majorly repaired, and before use, a competent person tests it by water pressure; since 4 March 2024 a third party inspection agency may too Petroleum Rules 2002, rule 126 G.S.R. 154(E), 4 Mar 2024.
A certificate of safety is needed before petrol is first stored, and when a tank is installed or its position shifted Petroleum Rules 2002, rule 130.

In the Petroleum Rules as amended up to 4 March 2024, the latest we opened, we did not find a repeat-test interval for these tanks.

Before repair, a tank must be cleared of petroleum and vapour and certified "gas-free" in writing by a competent person; the licensee keeps that certificate at least three months Petroleum Rules 2002, Form XIV, condition 8.

What leak checks apply?

CPCB's guidelines for setting up new petrol pumps ask for a daily volume-balance report, manual gauging once a month checked against the automatic gauge, and a leak test of all underground tanks and pipelines every 7 years CPCB new pump guidelines 7 Jan 2020, B.1, B.2 and B.4. The Supreme Court directed State Pollution Control Boards to see them followed CPCB OM, 16 Jun 2023. They are written for new pumps: ask the State Pollution Control Board or your oil company if they reach an older one. The same memo names a CPCB addendum of 16 August 2021, which we did not open CPCB OM, 16 Jun 2023.

A leak or spill of more than 165 litres must be reported by the oil company within 24 hours, and the tank stays out of use until PESO and the Board are satisfied CPCB new pump guidelines 7 Jan 2020, A.3. In practice, stop sales from a tank you suspect and call your oil company. To read the level, see what is dip and the dip chart calculator.

Where this comes from

Petroleum Rules 2002 (English), PESO: Form XIV, rules 126, 130.
Petroleum (Amendment) Rules 2024, PESO: the 4 March 2024 changes.
CPCB guidelines of 7 January 2020 and OM of 16 June 2023, as filed in the National Green Tribunal: leak checks, spills.

Questions people ask

01What is the capacity of a petrol pump tank?

We did not find a standard capacity range in the rules we opened. Each licence lists the number of underground tanks and the capacity of each in kilolitres Petroleum Rules 2002, Form XIV.

02What does a petrol pump underground tank cost?

We did not find a price for tanks in an official source. The oil company's advertisement says what the dealer must bear.

03Are petrol pump tanks single-wall or double-wall?

For new pumps, CPCB's guidelines say that where groundwater is less than 4 metres below ground there must be secondary containment, meaning double-walled tanks or concrete protection walls CPCB new pump guidelines 7 Jan 2020, A.1.

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