Leading environmental compliance technology company AC’CENT Environmental Services. Inc. and global fuel analytics technology provider Leighton O’Brien have entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement for Dri-sump®, the most innovative containment tightness testing technology on the market certified to meet US EPA compliance obligations.
The 15-year agreement enables Leighton O’Brien to distribute and market Dri-sump®, a faster, simpler and far less disruptive alternative to hydrostatic testing. Dri-sump® can test all types containment sumps and spill buckets in 60 seconds and uses no water and creates zero waste by-products—thereby avoiding problems and costs associated with hazardous waste.
The technology uses a heavy vapor aerosol which fills the sump. An air generator ‘pulls’ the soil gases via a mini monitoring well adjacent to the sump into a viewing chamber where a laser examination determines if the sump is tight.
Dri-sump® is certified to US EPA protocols, listed on the NWGLDE and has state regulatory acceptance in 46 USA states as an alternative to costly hydrostatic testing, which can slow sales by up to five hours per site.
President of AC’CENT Environmental, Mr Danny Brevard, said: “This agreement represents two innovative solutions providers coming together to significantly enhance the quality, convenience, speed and availability of containment testing for c-store retailers.
“Our combined track record in developing proprietary technologies is underpinned by deep scientific and engineering expertise and industry know-how.
“We’re extremely pleased to partner with Leighton O’Brien who have proven experience in commercialising leak detection systems on a global scale. Their industry reputation, distributor network, analytics capabilities and international reach provides a strong platform to leverage our Dri-sump® technology,” he said.
Leighton O’Brien CEO, Reed Leighton, said: “AC’CENT Environmental has decades of experience providing best-in-class products and services to the USA energy sector. Their Dri-sump® technology is exactly what the market has been crying out for.
“We believe this is a game-changing industry development that will benefit fuel retailers given they will now be able to meet their EPA compliance obligations without having to stop forecourt sales for triennial containment tightness tests.
“We estimate the North American C-store industry can add 250,000 hours of sales uptime per year by adopting Dri-sump®. In addition, a hydrostatic test will cost $150 to $300 in lost fuel sales compared to $3 to $6 with Dri-sump®, so the salesup time benefits are significant. The cost of Dri Sump is comparable to existing methods,” he said.
Dri-sump® technology will be available through Leighton O’Brien’s 22 testing partners throughout the US immediately. Its existing network will also be supplemented by additional partners after intial rollout to existing partners.
