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The History of Dri-sump

Created in Response to the 2015 EPA Rule Revisions

Dri-sump was created as a direct response to the EPA’s 2015 Underground Storage Tank (UST) rule revisions.

When the EPA finalized the updated UST regulations in 2015, the petroleum equipment industry faced one of the largest operational changes in decades. For the first time, recurring testing requirements for containment sumps and spill buckets became mandatory nationwide under 40 CFR Part 280.

Although the regulations were introduced in 2015, compliance deadlines began taking effect in late 2018, with widespread industry implementation accelerating throughout 2019.

As contractors and operators prepared for the new requirements, a major problem quickly became clear: traditional hydrostatic testing methods would require enormous amounts of water, labor, cleanup, disposal costs, and operational downtime across the United States.

Industry estimates projected that nationwide hydrostatic testing could consume approximately 120 million gallons of water while generating an estimated $245 million in contaminated water handling and disposal costs.

Dri-sump was developed as an answer to that challenge.

The goal was to create an easier, faster, and more environmentally friendly method of sump testing, one designed to reduce water usage, minimize cleanup, simplify compliance, improve operational efficiency, and modernize containment testing for the petroleum equipment industry.

Instead of relying on outdated water-intensive testing procedures, Dri-sump introduced a dry testing technology specifically engineered for the modern regulatory environment created by the EPA’s revised UST requirements.

What followed was over five years of research and development, third-party testing, engineering refinement, field evaluation, and collaboration with Ken Wilcox Associates, Inc. and the National Work Group on Leak Detection Evaluations (NWGLDE) to help ensure the system delivered reliable, repeatable, and professional real-world performance.

Today, Dri-sump represents more than a testing system. It represents a shift toward smarter, cleaner, faster, and more sustainable containment testing.

The 2015 EPA Rule Changes

In 2015, the EPA revised the federal underground storage tank regulations for the first time in decades.

The revised regulations required periodic testing of:

• Containment sumps

• Spill buckets

• Overfill prevention equipment

Facilities operating UST systems installed before October 13, 2015 were required to begin compliance testing by October 13, 2018.

This dramatically increased the amount of containment testing that would need to be performed across the United States.

For the industry, this created a logistical and environmental problem few had fully considered.

Traditional hydrostatic testing methods required filling containment areas with water to verify integrity. Across hundreds of thousands of fuel system components nationwide, the amount of water required became staggering.

The Water Problem

As the industry evaluated the impact of the EPA rule revisions, it became clear that hydrostatic testing on a national scale would consume massive amounts of water.

Industry estimates based on EPA cost analysis data projected that testing the nation’s approximately 550,000 underground fuel storage tanks and associated containment systems would require roughly: 120 million gallons of water

Additionally, the estimated cost to properly manage and dispose of the contaminated testing water was projected at approximately: $245 million

This was not simply a cost issue.

Once water is introduced into petroleum containment systems during hydrostatic testing, that water becomes contaminated and requires controlled disposal procedures. The process added:

• Significant disposal costs

• Additional labor

• Environmental handling concerns

• Increased operational downtime

• Cleanup complexity

• Transportation and disposal logistics

The industry suddenly faced an uncomfortable question.

Why use massive amounts of clean water to identify leaks in systems designed to prevent environmental contamination? This is especially concerning since it contaminates the very water we're trying to protect.

This question became one of the driving forces behind the creation of Dri-sump.

The Beginning of Dri-sump

Dri-sump was developed to eliminate many of the inefficiencies and environmental burdens associated with traditional hydrostatic testing.

The goal was not simply to improve testing speed.
The goal was to rethink the testing process itself.

From the beginning, Dri-sump was engineered around several core principles:

• Eliminate water usage

• Simplify compliance testing

• Improve uptime for the customer

• Eliminate cleanup

• Simplify testing procedures

• Simplify testing equipment and smaller footprint

• Eliminate environmental impact

The development team recognized that the 2015 EPA revisions would permanently change the containment testing landscape. Contractors and facility operators needed a solution designed specifically for this new regulatory environment.

Dri-sump became that solution.

Five Years of Research and Development

Before commercial release, Dri-sump underwent more than five years of research, engineering refinement, field testing, and operational development.

This extensive development period allowed the system to evolve through:

• Real-world contractor feedback

• Engineering improvements

• Workflow optimization

• Repeatability testing

• Environmental evaluations

• Field usability studies

• Independent third-party testing

Every aspect of the system was refined with practical field use in mind.

The objective was never to create a theoretical laboratory product. The objective was to develop a reliable, repeatable, field-ready testing system capable of helping the industry adapt to the new EPA compliance requirements efficiently and professionally.

Third-Party Testing and Validation

Independent third-party testing became a critical part of Dri-sump’s development process.

The development team understood that industry adoption would require more than innovation alone. It required measurable performance, repeatability, and technical credibility.

Throughout development, the system underwent evaluations designed to verify:

• Reliability

• Repeatability

• Consistency

• Operational effectiveness

• Field usability

• Performance accuracy

This validation process helped refine both the technology and the testing methodologies used in the field.

Dri-sump received its third-party certification from Ken Wilcox Associates, Inc., in December 2018.

The result was a system engineered not only for efficiency but also for dependable real-world performance.

Working with the NWGLDE

One of the most important milestones in Dri-sump’s development was working with the National Work Group on Leak Detection Evaluations (NWGLDE).

The NWGLDE is a nationally recognized organization that evaluates leak detection technologies and testing methodologies used within the petroleum equipment industry.

Participation in the NWGLDE evaluation process required:

• Technical documentation

• Methodology review

• Repeatability evaluations

• Performance analysis

• Testing standard review

• Operational validation

This collaboration further strengthened Dri-sump’s technical credibility and reinforced its commitment to professional industry standards.

The process also helped demonstrate that Dri-sump was not simply a marketing concept, but a professionally developed testing technology designed to support the evolving regulatory environment created by the EPA’s 2015 rule revisions.

Logo and Brand Evolution

As the technology evolved, so did the Dri-sump brand.

The company intentionally developed a visual identity that reflected the same principles behind the system:

• Innovation

• Simplicity

• Professionalism

• Efficiency

• Modernization

The branding was designed to stand apart from traditional industrial marketing styles commonly seen throughout the petroleum equipment industry.

Over time, the Dri-sump logo and visual identity evolved to support:

• Stronger recognition

• Cleaner digital presentation

• Better advertising visibility

• Modernized industry perception

The brand became associated not only with containment testing technology, but with modernization itself.

Advertising and Industry Education

From the beginning, Dri-sump advertising focused on educating the industry about the operational and environmental problems associated with traditional hydrostatic testing.

Rather than relying solely on technical specifications, campaigns emphasized practical real-world benefits:

• Reduced water use

• Faster testing

• Less cleanup

• Lower disposal costs

• Simplified compliance

• Improved operational efficiency

As digital marketing expanded, Dri-sump developed:

• Educational campaigns

• Banner advertising

• Native advertising

• Demonstration videos

• Industry articles

• Training content

• Trade show marketing and sponsorships

The advertising strategy consistently centered around one core message:

Testing should solve problems, not create more of them.

Published Industry Recognition

As Dri-sump continued to educate the industry, that message began appearing in respected petroleum equipment and fuel-marketing publications.

These articles helped document the same story that shaped Dri-sump from the beginning: the need for a faster, cleaner, more practical way to test containment sumps and spill buckets without creating unnecessary water use, waste, cleanup, or downtime.

In the First Quarter 2025 issue of PEI Journal, Dri-sump was featured in a PEI Member Profile titled “ACCENT Environmental Services, Inc. dba Dri-sump® is User Friendly.”

The PEI profile told the broader ACCENT story, beginning with Danny Brevard starting ACCENT in 1983 and later moving into subsurface investigation, groundwater projects, leak detection forensics, vapor monitoring, and compliance programs for tank owners and operators.

The article also described how ACCENT evolved into a company focused on supporting and manufacturing the leak detection systems developed by Danny Brevard and his sons, including Gas System, SIRmadeSimple, PSTData.com, and Dri-sump.

For Dri-sump, the PEI profile marked an important industry recognition point. The article identified Dri-sump as the cornerstone of the business and highlighted the company’s role in manufacturing and maintaining Dri-sump test equipment, supporting contractors and testing companies, and providing training, certification, and technical consultation.

The article also reinforced Dri-sump’s core field advantages: no water, zero waste, and a certified test in 60 seconds.

Later in 2025, Dri-sump’s industry education efforts continued in Fuel Market News Magazine with Eric Brevard’s article, “Underground Storage Tank Testing.”

The Fuel Market News article focused on the future of sump testing and the need for better procedures, better technician training, better documentation, and more repeatable testing methods.

It also addressed one of the major issues Dri-sump was created to help solve: inconsistency in the field. Even when testing is performed on schedule, different technician interpretations, changing site conditions, equipment variability, and inconsistent documentation can create unnecessary risk.

In that broader discussion, Dri-sump was presented as part of a more modern testing approach: a technician-operated vacuum test system designed to produce consistent results without requiring site shutdown or water use.

Together, the PEI Member Profile and FMN article became part of Dri-sump’s public history. PEI helped document the company’s growth and industry role, while FMN gave Dri-sump a platform to help educate the industry about better testing practices.

Both articles reinforced the same idea that has guided Dri-sump from the beginning:

Containment testing should be reliable, repeatable, environmentally responsible, and practical for the people doing the work in the field.

2024 Continued Industry Leadership

In 2024, the Petroleum Equipment Institute released the latest edition of RP1200: PEI/RP1200-24

The updated recommended practice further reflected the industry’s continued movement toward modernized containment testing, operational efficiency, and improved compliance procedures.

The RP1200-24 committee included Danny Brevard as part of the PEI Overfill, Release Detection and Release Prevention Equipment Testing Committee.

This milestone reinforced Dri-sump’s role not only as an innovative testing technology, but as part of the broader industry conversation shaping the future of containment testing standards and best practices.

Continuing Innovation

Today, Dri-sump continues to evolve through:

• Ongoing product refinement

• Industry engagement

• Field feedback

• Workflow analysis

• Educational outreach

The mission remains the same as it was at the beginning:

Provide the petroleum equipment industry with smarter, cleaner, and more efficient containment testing solutions designed for the modern regulatory environment.

The history of Dri-sump is rooted in one defining moment: the EPA’s 2015 UST rule revisions fundamentally changed the future of containment testing.

Faced with the environmental, operational, and financial burdens of large-scale hydrostatic testing, Dri-sump was created to offer the industry a better path forward.

Through five years of research and development, independent third-party testing, collaboration with the NWGLDE, and continued innovation, Dri-sump evolved into a technology focused on modernization, efficiency, and environmental responsibility.

What began as an answer to a regulatory challenge became a broader effort to improve the future of sump testing itself.