Section 27-829. Location of tanks

(a) Inside of buildings, above ground, on
  the lowest floor.
    (1) TANK CAPACITY OF FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY GALLONS OR LESS. Storage tanks
  having a capacity of five hundred fifty gallons or less may be installed
  above ground on the lowest floor of a building, provided that such tanks
  are mounted on adequate noncombustible supports, with the tank  anchored
  thereto.  No  more  than  five  hundred  fifty  gallons of total storage
  capacity may be connected to one burner or may be installed without  the
  protection provided in paragraph two or three of this subdivision.
    (2)  TANK  CAPACITY MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY GALLONS BUT LESS THAN
  ELEVEN HUNDRED GALLONS. Storage tanks having a  capacity  of  more  than
  five  hundred  fifty gallons but less than eleven hundred gallons may be
  installed above ground on the lowest floor of a building, provided  that
  all  portions of such tanks above the floor are completely enclosed with
  noncombustible construction having at least a two hour  fire  resistance
  rating. Weep holes one inch in diameter shall be provided at least every
  three  feet  along  the  bottom of the enclosure unless at least fifteen
  inches of clearance, together with access door, is provided between  the
  tank and the enclosure.
    (3) TANK CAPACITY ELEVEN HUNDRED GALLONS OR MORE. Storage tanks having
  a  capacity  of  eleven  hundred  gallons or more may be installed above
  ground on the lowest floor of a building, provided that all portions  of
  such  tanks  above the floor are completely enclosed with noncombustible
  construction having at least a three hour resistance  rating.  At  least
  fifteen  inches  clearance  shall  be provided over the tanks and on all
  sides between the tanks and the enclosure. A noncombustible access door,
  constructed so as to  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  fire  resistive
  enclosure, shall be installed in the enclosure above the point where the
  capacity  of  the  enclosure  below  the door sill would be equal to the
  capacity  of  the  largest  tank  installed.  When  the  longest  inside
  dimension  of the enclosure exceeds thirty-five feet, access doors shall
  be installed at intervals not exceeding twelve feet. Columns, pipes,  or
  similar  obstructions  may  project  into the required fifteen inches of
  space within the enclosure, provided that access door or  doors  are  so
  arranged   that  all  portions  of  the  enclosure  are  accessible  for
  servicing.
    (4) MAXIMUM TANK SIZE. The capacity of individual storage tanks in  no
  case shall exceed twenty thousand gallons.
    (b) Inside of building above the lowest floor.
    (1)   Fuel  oil  storage  tanks  having  a  capacity  of  two  hundred
  seventy-five gallons or less may be installed inside of buildings  above
  the  lowest  story  when  provided  with  a  four inch thick concrete or
  masonry curb, or with a metal pan of gauge equal to  the  gauge  of  the
  tank,  completely  surrounding  the  tank  and  of  sufficient height to
  contain two times the capacity of the  tank.  The  number  of  such  oil
  storage tanks shall be limited to one per story.
    (2)  Storage  tanks  having  a  capacity  of  two hundred seventy-five
  gallons or less, installed above the  lowest  floor  inside  a  building
  shall  be  filled  by  means  of a transfer pump supplied from a primary
  storage tank  located  and  installed  as  otherwise  required  by  this
  subchapter.  A  separate  transfer  pump  and  piping  circuit  shall be
  provided for each storage tank installed  above  the  lowest  floor.  No
  intermediate pumping stations shall be provided between the storage tank
  and  the  transfer  pump.  Appropriate devices shall be provided for the
  automatic and manual starting and stopping of the transfer pumps  so  as
  to prevent the overflow of oil from these storage tanks.
    (3)  A  float switch shall be provided with the curb or pan around the
  storage tank and shall be arranged so as to sound an alarm and stop  the

  transfer pump in case of failure of the tank or the control in the tank.
  The  operation  of  the  float switch shall be tested at least once each
  week. An alarm bell shall be located in the same room with the tank  and
  a visual and audible alarm shall be located in a maintenance office. The
  enclosing  and  sealing  of  switches  and  wiring  shall conform to the
  requirements of the electrical code of the city of New York for  devices
  located in an atmosphere of flammable vapors.
    (c) Inside of buildings, below ground.
    (1)   Storage  tanks  having  a  capacity  greater  than  two  hundred
  seventy-five gallons may be buried inside a building provided  that  the
  top  of  the tank is at least two feet below floor level. In lieu of two
  feet of earth over the  tank,  the  tank  may  be  covered  by  concrete
  flooring  having  the same thickness as the basement floor, but not less
  than four inch concrete meeting the requirement  of  subchapter  ten  of
  this  chapter  and reinforced with two inch by two inch mesh of at least
  no. 20 U.S. standard gauge steel wire. Tanks shall  be  placed  in  firm
  soil  and  shall  be surrounded by clean sand or well-tamped earth, free
  from ashes and other corrosive substances, and  free  from  stones  that
  will  not  pass  through  a  one  inch  mesh.  When necessary to prevent
  floating, tanks shall be securely anchored.
    (2) No tank shall be buried within three feet of any  foundation  wall
  or footing.
    (d) Outside of building, below ground.
    (1)  Storage tanks located outside of buildings and below ground shall
  be buried with the top of the tank at least two feet below ground. Tanks
  shall be placed in firm soil and shall be surrounded by  clean  sand  or
  well-tamped  earth,  free  from  ashes or other corrosive substance, and
  free from stones that will not  pass  through  a  one  inch  mesh.  When
  necessary to prevent floating, tanks shall be securely anchored.
    (2)  No  tank shall be buried within three feet of any foundation wall
  or footing.
    (e) Outside of buildings, above ground.
    (1) Storage tanks of a capacity greater than two hundred  seventy-five
  gallons located outside of buildings above ground shall be not less than
  one  and one-quarter (1 1/4) tank diameters and in no case less than ten
  feet. from the line of  adjoining  property,  the  nearest  building  or
  adjacent  tank.  The  minimum clearance between individual tanks located
  outside of buildings above ground and the  line  of  adjoining  property
  which may be built upon shall be fixed by the following formula:
 
                                         G - 275
                          M.C. = 10 + 4 (--------)
                                           5000
    where: M.C. = minimum clearance from nearest surface of tank to
                  adjoining property, in feet.
              G = capacity of tank, in gallons.
 
    The  maximum  allowable  capacity  of  fuel  oil storage tanks located
  outside of buildings above ground shall be one hundred thousand gallons.
    (2) Tanks shall be located so as not to obstruct or interfere with any
  means of egress.
    (3) Each storage tank shall be protected by  an  embankment  or  dike.
  Such  protection  shall  have a capacity at least one and one-half times
  the capacity of the tank so surrounded and shall be at least  four  feet
  high, but in no case shall the protection be higher than one-quarter the
  height  of  the  tank  when the height of the tank exceeds sixteen feet.
  Embankments or dikes shall be made of earth  work  with  clay  core,  of
  masonry,  of  reinforced  concrete  or  of steel. Earth work embankments

  shall be firmly and compactly built of  good  earth  free  from  stones,
  vegetable  matter, etc., and shall have a flat section of at least three
  feet at the top and a slope of at least one and one-half to two  on  all
  sides.  Concrete,  masonry  or  steel  dikes  shall be designed so as to
  conform safely all of the oil in the tank so surrounded. Embankments  or
  dikes  shall  be  continuous and unpierced, and the outside toe shall be
  located at least five feet inside of the property line, and no less than
  five feet from a driveway or parking area.
    (f) Tanks located along line of subways.
    (1) No buried tank shall be placed within twenty feet of  the  outside
  line  of  a subway wall. Where an above ground tank within a building is
  located within the outer lines of the subway, or within twenty  feet  of
  the  outside line of the subway wall, such tank shall be placed within a
  welded steel oiltight  pan  of  not  less  than  no.  18  manufacturer's
  standard  gauge metal suitably reinforced and of capacity to contain the
  contents of the tank.
    (2) For the purpose of the foregoing requirement, a  subway  shall  be
  deemed to include any subsurface railroad or rapid transit roadbed.