Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program – Chapter 16 Rewrite
The Draft Chapter 16 of Division 3 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations Rewrite
The State Water Board is currently drafting amendments to chapter 16 of division 3 of title 23 of the California Code of Regulations (Chapter 16 Rewrite) to update and modernize the regulations, including amendments necessary to implement amendments to applicable provisions of the Health and Safety Code.
Pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 25292.05, all single-walled USTs must be permanently closed on or before December 31, 2025. The Chapter 16 Rewrite includes deleting all provisions relating to single-walled USTs as these systems are required to be permanently closed and will be prohibited from operation starting January 1, 2026. For additional information on single-walled UST closure requirements, please refer to the Single-Walled UST Webpage.
It is expected that the proposed amendments to the UST Regulations will become effective January 1, 2026. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed Chapter 16 Rewrite through the formal rulemaking process beginning in November 2024. A public hearing on the rulemaking is expected in early January 2025. Notification of the start of the rulemaking process and public hearing date will be provided by the Office of Administrative Law Notice Register, and emailed to all UST Stakeholders that have subscribed using the California Water Boards Email Subscription Updates. All rulemaking documents for the Chapter 16 Rewrite will be found on this web page at the beginning of the comment period.
Quick Links
Staying Connected
Subscribe to the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program Requirements and Guidance mailing list to receive direct notification about the upcoming Chapter 16 Rewrite.
Public Participation
State Water Board staff hosted a focus workgroup over Microsoft Teams during the fall of 2022 consisting of State Water Board staff, UST regulators, and select representatives from the UST regulated community. In addition, State Water Board staff held three public informational webinars on September 14, 2023, September 19, 2023, and September 27, 2023. Participants included UST owners and operators, UST regulators, contractors, component manufacturers, and other representatives from the UST regulated community to review and ask questions related to the proposed changes in the Chapter 16 Rewrite. These webinars, which can be accessed below, are not part of the formal rulemaking process.
The public will have an opportunity to submit comments on the Chapter 16 Rewrite during the formal rulemaking process in the fall of 2024. Members of the public will be able to submit questions and comments related to the regulations as part of this formal process. Additional guidance will be provided at that time.
Informational Webinars on the Upcoming Chapter 16 Rewrite
Contact Us
Information request or inquiries should be addressed to the following:
Tom Henderson, Manager
State Water Resources Control Board
Division of Water Quality
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 319-9128
Tom.Henderson@Waterboards.ca.gov
The backup contact person is:
Austin Lemire-Baeten
State Water Resources Control Board
Division of Water Quality
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 352-5612
Austin.Lemire-Baeten@waterboards.ca.gov
