December 19, 2011 - EarthFax Completes Firewater System Adequacy Evaluation and Begins Design Services for a Utah Oil Refinery

In early 2011, EarthFax Engineering, Inc. was contracted to evaluate the adequacy of the existing firewater system at a refinery and tank farm located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The purpose of the study was to determine areas of the refinery and tank farm where flow and pressure improvements where required to meet industry standards promulgated by the American Petroleum Institute and the National Fire Protection Association.

As part of the study, EarthFax developed estimates of the quantity of water required for firefighting at the refinery and tank farm to prevent or mitigate the loss of equipment and business interruption should a fire occur. Additionally, the study addressed the amount of firewater that was actually available for firefighting within these areas. Project tasks included researching existing site drawings for information regarding the existing firewater systems, performing a field inventory of the existing firewater systems to verify the drawings of record, creating master maps of the firewater system, performing flow tests of the firewater systems, developing a computer model of the existing firewater system inventories, and evaluating existing system function verses system requirements to identify deficiencies.

The system adequacy evaluation was completed in approximately two months and a report summarizing the results of the study was provided to the client. As a follow-up to that work, EarthFax has begun a project to provide detailed plans, specifications, and engineering services for each of several priorities that were identified in the adequacy evaluation.

EarthFax Engineering, Inc. is a consulting engineering firm that was founded in 1982, with offices in Midvale, Utah. The firm provides services in the areas of civil engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydrology, geology, land reclamation, and environmental planning. Additional information regarding EarthFax can be found at www.earthfax.com.