Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
State Water Board staff unveil broad rewrite of underground storage tank rules to take effect Jan. 1, 2026
Loading...
Summary
Staff presented a comprehensive rewrite of California Code of Regulations Title 23, Division 3, Chapter 16 covering definitions, construction, inspections, release reporting, closure and corrective action; many changes create new requirements for owners, UPAs and cleanup oversight agencies and set Jan. 1, 2026, as the primary effective date for new installs.
State Water Resources Control Board staff presented a proposed, chapter-wide rewrite of underground storage tank (UST) regulations in California—CCR Title 23, Division 3, Chapter 16—outlining new definitions, recordkeeping obligations, construction and inspection standards, release-reporting requirements, closure rules and corrective-action procedures. Staff said the draft will go before the Board and that many provisions would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
The rewrite groups rules into 10 Articles: Article 1 (definitions, exemptions, recordkeeping), Article 2 (site-specific variances and optional construction standards), Article 3 (certification/licensing and training), Article 4 (design, construction and operation), Article 5 (inspection), Article 6 (testing), Article 7 (release reporting and first response), Article 8 (closure), Article 9 (permits and related conditions), and Article 10 (corrective action and post-closure issues). According to staff, guidance and updated forms will be posted before the regulations take effect to help owners and UPAs comply. Staff summarized the package as a structural rewrite intended to reduce ambiguity and align inspection and enforcement pathways.
Key points staff highlighted include new, clearer definitions (for example, a more precise distinction between components “installed in the ground” and those that are inspectable), a three-tier violation classification to inform enforcement response, and new inspector categories (including independent compliance inspectors) intended to give Unified Program Agencies flexibility while preserving impartiality. Staff said the draft removes references to single-wall USTs from many sections because owners must permanently close single-wall tanks by Dec. 31, 2031.
Staff also emphasized changes in data and reporting expectations: required records (installation drawings, test results, manufacturer checklists and repair histories) must be available for on-site inspection, and off-site records must be made available to UPAs within 36 hours when requested. The presentation referenced CERS and GeoTracker (transcript: “Jio tracker”) as the primary reporting portals and previewed revised forms and an updated release-detection test report that replaces the current annual-inspection form.
No formal Board action or vote was recorded in the presentation; staff framed the package for public comment and Board review. The Board is expected to publish guidance and form instructions during the comment period and to consider the rule package at a future meeting.
