Legal Obligations

Bund integrity testing is a general licence condition for all IPPC and Waste Licence holders and is normally required every three years. It may also be a condition of a Local Authority permit.

Why Bunds Matter – Environmental Considerations

A bund is a critical pollution control device designed to contain leaks from storage tanks. If a bund is not watertight, any leak from a tank becomes uncontrolled and can cause serious pollution to groundwater and sensitive receptors. This exposes the operator to prosecution, reputational damage and costly clean-up works.

Leaks often start small and remain unnoticed for long periods, allowing pollutants to migrate significant distances and escalating clean-up costs. A properly maintained bund ensures that any liquid found inside (other than rainwater) signals a leak in a pipeline or tank, allowing early intervention before major damage occurs.

Economic Considerations

Maintaining bunds is a low-cost preventative measure compared to the financial and reputational consequences of a pollution incident. Key benefits of effective bund maintenance include:

• Recovery of leaked contents, avoiding disposal and product replacement costs

• Reduced risk of prosecutions, fines and negative corporate reputation impacts

• Protection of consumer brand value and CSR commitments

• Avoidance of tighter licence conditions that increase compliance costs year-on-year

Our Bund Testing Procedure

Ambipar begins with a full visual assessment, including calculation of bund storage volume. If required, our site services team will clean the bund to ensure an accurate inspection.

Bund integrity testing is conducted in line with:

• EPA IPPC Guidance Note on the Storage and Transfer of Materials for Scheduled Activities

• British Standard BS8007:1987 – Design of concrete structures for retaining aqueous liquids

• CIRIA Report 163 – Construction of bunds for oil storage tanks

Where a full water retention test is not possible (due to tank flotation risks, excessive water usage, interference with site operations, or low-level electrical equipment), Ambipar can often provide a reduced-level water retention test. This specifically targets high-risk points such as bund floors and wall joints.

Reporting and Remedial Works

Following testing, Ambipar provides a comprehensive report detailing which bunds have passed or failed. For failed bunds, we can:

• Propose remedial works to bring them up to required standards

• Provide temporary portable storage tanks with bunding while repairs are undertaken

Repair Capability

Ambipar can carry out repairs and upgrades to bunds and tanks made from:

• Concrete

• Stainless steel

• Mild steel

• Thermoplastic

• HDPE

• GRP

• Other specialist materials

Why Choose Ambipar?

• Nationwide bund integrity testing and repairs

• Fully compliant with EPA and British Standards

• Certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 for quality, environmental and safety management

• Full reporting with practical remedial solutions

• Temporary bunded storage solutions available

Get in Touch

Protect your site from pollution, prosecution and unnecessary costs. Contact Ambipar today to arrange bund integrity testing.
Email: quotes@ambipar.ie | Phone: 021-4351020