California Environmental Reporting System (CERS)
Frequently Asked Questions

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has prepared a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the underground storage tank portion of the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) database.  The State Water Board has prepared FAQs for both the “Regulator Users Portal” and the “Business Users Portal”.  The FAQs will be updated as needed to ensure the most current and relevant information can be obtained by CERS users.  CERS guidance for programs outside of UST, please go to the CERS FAQ page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Business User FAQs and Tutorials

  1. Should a Closed or Removed Tank be included on Future Submittals?
  2. Are hard copies of documents required to be kept onsite?
  3. Which UST Forms Must Be Uploaded?
  4. How to Report a BOE Number
  5. When to Report Repairs and New USTs
  6. How to Report Tank Contents
  7. Reporting Abandoned USTs
  8. Making a Submittal from a Previous Submittal
  9. What are the General Reporting Requirements for UST Sites?
  10. Notice to Close Single Wall USTs
  11. Common CERS Reporting Errors
  12. How to report a TIUGA (former UST in CERS) as an AST subject to APSA?
  13. Changing or Reusing Tank ID Numbers
  14. Reporting Closure of USTs and Installation of New USTs
  15. Split Facility Feature: Transferring a UST to Another Facility
  16. Reporting Archived, Previously Closed but Unreported UST
  17. Discarding Previously Closed Tanks from Future UST Submittals

Regulator User FAQs and Tutorials

  1. How to Enter Red Tag Information in CERS
  2. How to Create a Valid UST Report 6 in CERS
  3. Is an ICC certification required to review and accept UST CERS submittals?
  4. Download Business User Email Addresses
  5. When should re-inspections be reported to CERS?
  6. Reporting Abandoned USTs
  7. Reporting UST Repairs and New UST Installations
  8. Reporting Non-Inspection Related Violations
  9. Can Submittals be Deleted?
  10. When to Issue a UST Operating Permit
  11. Setting Accepted Submittal Status
  12. How to Report Multi-Day Inspections in CERS
  13. Citations for Failure to Report UP Information
  14. Reporting Multiple Identical Violations
  15. Determining Unified Program Element Regulated Facility Count
  16. Assigning Existing USTs to a New Facility
  17. When to Review UST Records
  18. Reporting Closed USTs When No Business Lead is Available
  19. Using CERS Reports to Ensure Accurate UST Facility and Tank Counts