Fuel risk assessment & analysis
Bottom-tank sampling, visual risk assessment and SANS 342 laboratory analysis where it is needed. The findings tell you what to do next.
Diesel Decontamination Services
Understand risk.Protect uptime.
DDS identifies, assesses and manages the risks inside stored diesel and fuel infrastructure. You get clear reporting, targeted corrective action and ongoing oversight, from one standby tank to a national portfolio.
Scanning tankIllustration
01 · ScanTank layers
02 · SampleTank bottom
03 · AnalyseSANS 342 & visual
04 · RateRisk & next action
- Identify exposureFuel and tank assessments
- Prioritise actionEvidence-led recommendations
- Track findingsClear site and tank reporting
- Maintain oversightScheduled review and follow-up
Manage the full risk cycle
Assess the risk.
Manage the response.
We connect what an assessment finds to practical action. Tank cleaning is one possible response within a wider fuel risk management programme, never the default.
Ask about an assessment
Tank cleaning & fuel remediation
When contamination is confirmed, we scope cleaning and fuel remediation around the tank’s condition and your operating requirements. We recover the fuel that can be treated.
Ongoing fuel risk management
Scheduled sampling, reporting and follow-up keep you informed between visits, with maintenance and monitoring matched to each site.
The risk you don’t always see
A serviced generator.
What about its fuel?
Mechanical servicing looks after the generator. DDS looks after the fuel that feeds it, and the risks that build up while that fuel sits in storage.
Water and sediment collect at the bottom of a tank while the fuel above still looks clear. Routine mechanical servicing usually does not remove them.
Generator serviced
Fuel condition unknown
Outside: looks sound
Inside: water + sediment
What happens inside
Contamination builds quietly.
The consequences don’t.
Fuel picks up contamination during delivery, transfer and storage. A tank that looks sound from outside still needs attention inside.
Water & moisture
Small entry points. A growing problem.
Condensation, damaged seals and water carried in with deliveries all introduce moisture into stored diesel. It sinks and collects at the bottom.
Donaldson: water in diesel ↗Sediment & fuel condition
What settles can go unnoticed.
Rust, dirt and other particles build up through the fuel supply chain. Some of the most damaging particles are too small to see.
Donaldson: particles and modern engines ↗Engine reliability
Your fuel system feels the effect.
Contaminants can wear or stick precision injector components, shorten their service life and damage other engine parts.
Cummins: diesel fuel contaminants ↗How contamination forms
Inside a generator base tank.
Step by step.
Follow the fuel from the engine back into the tank, and watch condensation, water and diesel bug build up where you can’t see them.
Diesel
Hot return fuel
Water
Diesel bug
Sludge
Engine running
Illustration · not to scale
Illustration of typical contamination mechanisms in stored diesel. Rates vary with climate, tank location, fuel quality and how often the generator runs.
The DDS approach
A clear view.
A considered response.
Each step connects what we found, what it means, what should happen next and when the tank should be reviewed again. Then the cycle repeats.
STEP 01
Assess
For facilities teams & portfolio managers
One site or many.
A consistent view of risk.
Different sampling methods and disconnected reports make it hard to compare findings or decide where to act first. DDS runs one programme with consistent methods, reporting and follow-up across your sites in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Know what you have
Start with a site and tank list, capacities, service history and operating requirements.
Know what needs attention
Every finding and recommendation stays linked to its tank, with the priority explained.
Know what happens next
Agree responsibilities, review dates and follow-up on corrective work with your team.
Fuel risk register
Portfolio view · per-tank findings
| Site | Tank | Capacity | SANS 342 analysis | VA risk assessment | Priority | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office park, UmhlangaKwaZulu-Natal | Standby genset | 2 200 L | Off-spec | High | High | Requires immediate intervention |
| Data hall, MidrandGauteng | Bulk tank 1 | 20 000 L | Marginal | Medium | Medium | Keep to service interval |
| Data hall, Cape TownWestern Cape | Day tank | 1 000 L | Within spec | Low | Low | Routine monitoring |
| Hospital, PinetownKwaZulu-Natal | Emergency supply | 9 000 L | Off-spec | High | High | Requires immediate intervention |
| Retail centre, SandtonGauteng | Genset 2 | 1 500 L | Off-spec | High | High | Requires immediate intervention |
| Telecom site, StellenboschWestern Cape | Mast genset | 500 L | Marginal | Medium | Medium | Keep to service interval |
| Logistics depot, GermistonGauteng | Fleet bulk tank | 23 000 L | Within spec | Medium | Medium | Keep to service interval |
SANS 342 analysis: laboratory result against the diesel specificationVA risk assessment: visual assessment of fuel and tank, rated 1–5
Tell us where your sites are, the tank capacities and your operating requirements. We’ll propose a coordinated sampling and maintenance programme, including regional service arrangements.
Discuss a multi-site programmeWhere reliability matters
Critical fuel.
Everyday responsibility.
We support the facilities, equipment and operations that depend on stored diesel to keep running.
Data centres & telecomsStandby fuel for uptime commitments
Healthcare & critical powerEmergency supply that has to start
Commercial propertyBackup power across tenanted buildings
Transport, marine & industryFleets, vessels and plant on diesel
Where we work
Three regional bases.
One national network.
DDS has teams based in Durban, Cape Town and Gauteng, covering KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape. Multi-site programmes can extend to facilities elsewhere in South Africa. Choose a region to contact that team.
A few things worth knowing
Your fuel.
Your questions.
Straight answers to what facilities and engineering teams ask us most.
Is DDS only a tank-cleaning contractor?
No. DDS is a specialist fuel risk management company. We assess fuel and tank conditions, explain the findings, recommend corrective action and support ongoing review. Tank cleaning and remediation are part of that response when the assessment shows a need.
Does every assessment lead to tank cleaning?
No. The next step depends on the findings. It may be further investigation, continued monitoring or defined remedial work. Any corrective service is scoped separately for you to consider.
Do we need to dispose of all the diesel?
Not necessarily. We assess the fuel and recover what can be treated. The cleaning process is designed to limit fuel waste. How much we recover depends on the contamination and the tank’s condition.
Does a clear sample mean the tank is clean?
Not always. A clear sample from the upper fuel layer can miss water and sediment at the bottom, so sampling position matters. Bottom-tank sampling reveals contamination that might otherwise stay hidden.
Does tank cleaning confirm SANS 342 compliance?
No. Cleaning and filtration address contamination. Confirming that fuel meets the applicable SANS 342 requirements needs suitable laboratory testing; appearance alone cannot confirm compliance.
Can you help with more than one site?
Yes. We have bases in Durban, Cape Town and Gauteng. Tell us where your sites are, the tank capacities and your operating requirements, and we’ll set up a coordinated sampling and maintenance programme.
Let’s talk about your fuel risk
Understand your exposure. Plan your next step.
Tell us about your site, your tanks and what keeps them running. We’ll recommend the right starting point, usually a fuel risk assessment.
Our basesDurban · Cape Town · Gauteng