Oil Tank Installations
– October 2010 law changes
Revised Building Regulation Approved Document J for England & Wales.
How it affects you
On 1 October 2010, the law changed to increase the protection of drinking water from oil contamination in the event of a leak. Areas of good drinking water are now identified and protected in Source Protection Zones (SPZ). If the tank we are installing falls within a SPZ, we must take extra measures to protect the environment. The Environment Agency website, produces a mapping tool which our technicians use to identify SPZs.
We pride ourselves in offering good quality, safe products that fully comply with Building Regulations. A sub-standard installation can be very costly to clean up if it leaks and it can cause considerable damage to the environment. That is why we now only install bunded double skin oil tanks for all our clients and no longer offer single skin oil tanks for fitment.
Where can my new tank be positioned?
Under the new legislation, it is not always possible to simply replace an old tank with a new one; this is mainly due to fire safety issues. For example, in the table shown below, an old tank that was originally installed against a property wall would now need to follow the criteria below to ensure the installation will be fully compliant to the new Regulations.
Failure to follow these Regulations, can lead to additional costs being applied to rectify the installation and it could also invalidate your insurance if a problem occurs.
| Location of a tank | Protection usually satisfactory |
| Location within a Building | Contained within a fire chamber with special measures. Discuss with OFTEC engineer. |
| Less than 1800mm from any part of a building |
Regulated Fire Proofing is required |
| Less than 760mm from a boundary | Regulated Fire Proofing is required |
| More than 1800 from any part of a building | No further provisions are required |
| More than 760mm from a boundary | No further provisions are required |
Approved installer for: 
