Blog

Source: Dover's OPW

Water can be a nuisance and, when left to its own devices, will creep, trickle and drip into places that it’s not wanted or needed. For fuel retailers, water creates big challenges for those who have underground storage tanks (USTs) on their sites.

In recent years, the challenge of water intrusion has become a top-of-mind concern for fuel retailers due to three main reasons:
- An accelerated fuel-distribution system allows less time for water to settle to the bottom of storage vessels during shipping.
- Additives like ethanol and biodiesel have created new fuel chemistries that are more susceptible to water-caused moisture accumulation, separation and biodegradation.
- Reworked installation procedures can result in a wider number of areas susceptible to water intrusion.

Recognizing the resulting demands put on fuel retailers by changes in the way that motor fuels are formulated, shipped and stored, the engineers at OPW Retail Fueling designed the patent-pending ElectroTite Dry Sump Technology, which is an extension of OPW’s FibreTite Tank Sump. FibreTite sumps are manufactured with a Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process that delivers consistent wall thickness and exceptionally smooth wall surfaces inside and out for an ultra-tight, reliably-sealed and entry-fitting surface.


The secret to OPW’s latest innovation in fuel-containment solutions – which is designed to provide safe, reliable and efficient fuel containment while optimizing the site operator’s business performance – is a no-drill, conduit-free construction. This design enables all of the EletroTite’s entry fittings and electrical wiring box to be factory-installed with no on-site drilling required. This new approach reduces or eliminates any potential leak points in the sump’s body, while the sealed conduit threads are located above the water table, providing additional water-intrusion protection with ease of access.

ElectroTite is not only the most watertight tank-sump system on the market; its conduit-free design also makes it more innovative. The result is a fueling system that is designed to prevent fuel from being compromised by water intrusion, protecting the performance of customers’ vehicles. This allows fuel retailers to experience improved efficiency, reliability, environmental protection, cost-effectiveness and safety for both themselves and their customers.

Defining What’s Next in Fueling Innovation:

ElectroTite is just one example of OPW’s “Watertight Wonders” family of water-intrusion prevention products, which includes tank sumps, multiports, manhole covers, spill containers and complete Loop Systems. OPW's brands, businesses and employees are focused on “Defining What’s Next,” and that means developing products that help to protect people and the environment while improving the business performance of customers. The Watertight Sump Systems from OPW Retail Fueling check all of these boxes and continue to prove that OPW is “Defining What’s Next” in the fueling industry.