REQUIREMENTS FOR A NEW STORAGE FACILITY.
Austin City Code § 6-2-62
in effect§ 6-2-62 - REQUIREMENTS FOR A NEW STORAGE FACILITY.
(A) This section prescribes requirements for constructing or installing:
(1) a new storage facility; or
(2) an addition to or modification of an existing storage facility.
(B) A nonportable container intended for storage of a hazardous material that is liquid or solid at standard temperature and pressure must include:
(1) a monitoring system to detect hazardous material in the secondary containment; and
(2) a system to monitor water intrusion, distinguish between water and a hazardous material, and safely remove water, if:
(a) the secondary containment is not designed to use water; and
(b) a reasonable probability exists for water to enter the secondary containment.
(C) Primary containment and secondary containment is required for a storage facility intended for the storage of a hazardous material that is liquid or solid at standard temperature and pressure.
(D) A primary containment must be:
(1) highly resistant to physical or chemical deterioration by the hazardous material being contained; or
(2) constructed with an inner liner that protects the container from the hazardous material being contained.
(E) This subsection prescribes requirements for a secondary containment.
(1) A secondary containment must:
(a) be construed of material that is not structurally weakened by contact with the hazardous material in the primary containment; and
(b) contain hazardous material discharged from the primary containment for a period of time equal to or longer than the maximum anticipated time required to recover the discharged hazardous material.
(2) Except as provided in Paragraph (4), if a storage facility has one primary containment, the minimum volume of the secondary containment is 110 percent of the volume of the primary container.
(3) Except as provided in Paragraph (4), if a storage facility has more than one primary containment, the minimum volume of the secondary containment is the lesser of:
(a) 110 percent of the volume of the largest primary containment; or
(b) 50 percent of the total volume of all primary containments.
(4) If a storage facility is open to rainfall, the minimum volume for a secondary containment prescribed by Paragraph (2) or (3) is increased by an amount equal to a ten-inch rainfall in a 24 hour period.
(5) Secondary containment is not required for readily visible piping.
(6) The director may allow a permittee to include backfill in calculating the volume of a secondary containment if the director determines that:
(a) the storage facility is located outside the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone;
(b) continuous electronic monitoring of the secondary containment is used;
(c) the depth from the base of the excavation for the secondary containment to the highest recorded water table depth is at least 50 feet;
(d) if the water table gradient flow is toward a water supply source, the sediment permeability is less than 0.001 centimeters per second; and
(e) the permittee submits to the director the information necessary to make a determination under this paragraph.
(F) Spill and overfill protection approved by the director is required for a nonportable container.
(G) Materials that in combination may cause a fire or explosion, produce a flammable, toxic, or poisonous gas, or deteriorate a primary containment or secondary containment must be separated in both primary containment and secondary containment.
(H) A storage facility containing a hazardous material that is liquid or solid at standard temperature and pressure must include a system for controlling the drainage of precipitation from within the facility and preventing discharge of the precipitation. The approval of the director is required for the system. The director may not approve a system unless the drainage flow is controllable.
(I) The director may require a design submittal to bear the stamp of one or more professional engineers, registered with the state, certifying the design, including structural soundness, seismic safety, compatibility of construction materials with contents, cathodic protection, and mechanical compatibility with the structural elements.
Source: 1992 Code Section 14-3-101(A)-(F); Ord. 031023-10; Ord. 031211-11.
Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ENCOCO_CH6-2HAMA_ART5CODERE_S6-2-62RENESTFAFetched: 10/27/2026