EPA Fire Water Retention Guidance Consultation

EPA Fire water Retention GuidanceThe EPA Fire Water Retention Guidance (Final Draft) Note provides guidance to operators of industrial activities on the requirements for, design and types of, firewater retention facilities.  The EPA first published its Guidance Note to Industry on Fire Water Retention Facilities in 1995.  This document is now being revised to update it to take into account changes to legislation since it was first published.

The document is primarily written for industrial activities regulated under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, but was also sufficiently broad in scope to accommodate other industrial activities.

The key proposed changes to the Fire Water Retention Guidance include:

  • A complete update for relevant legislation.
  • The incorporation of H-Statements replacing Risk Phases.
  • Three different methods for calculating the volume of firewater retention, compared to one previously.
  • An excel tool to assist users in determining the requirement for firewater retention, and for calculating their retention volume.
  • A change in the contribution of rainfall to the retention calculation.
  • A section on the design of firewater retention facilities.

The EPA welcomes input from all stakeholders. Those wishing to comment on the proposed changes are encouraged to do so by emailing comments to AirThematic@epa.ie.

The closing date for comments is 5 p.m. on Friday 20th April 2018.

Source: EPA