They live in the water layer, they eat fuel molecules, and some can excrete corrosive molecules such as acetic acid. Any kind of fuel can act as a feedstock for these microorganisms. This requires a free water layer in the bottom of a tank and time for the microbial population to grow unchecked.Ĭorrosion: Excessive microbial growth can contribute to corrosion in a storage tank (remember, this requires the presence of free water). But keep in mind that presence alone doesn’t cause problems - the problems occur when microbes are allowed to reproduce and flourish. The outside world is full of microbes in the air, soil and surface water, which means some microbes will always be present in an underground fuel tank. Microbial contamination: Free water is the root cause for microbial activity in tanks. Sources of free water include rain and condensation from combinations of warm days and cool evenings, or warm air above ground and cool underground temperatures. ![]() And a fuel tank with free water in it is likely to cause issues, one of which is microbial growth. If there’s a way for free water to get into any fuel tank, it will. Water in the tank: No fuel can create water, and dissolved water isn’t the issue - free water is the problem. So let’s address these one at a time and discuss a few tips to help. ![]() In fact, water is the common denominator for two major issues with fuel storage: microbial contamination and corrosion. It’s common knowledge among convenience store decision-makers that storing fuel - be it petroleum diesel, renewable diesel, biodiesel or gasoline - in a clean, dry tank is critical. One of those facts is that the fuel itself is not the cause of water contamination. Have you spent time or resources preventing or mitigating water in your fuel storage tanks? It’s something all suppliers and retailers have at least thought about, and it’s important to know the facts.
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