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State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) have directed petrol pumps across the country to check their underground storage tanks and fuel dispensing nozzles for water contamination every two to eight hours, depending on shifts and weather conditions, to safeguard the quality of ethanol-blended petrol (E20).
The checks are aimed at preventing water contamination, which can affect the quality of ethanol-blended fuel. The directives cover more than 93,000 petrol pumps operated by the three state-run oil marketing companies, Hindustan Times reported on Saturday.
Most retail outlets of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) conduct mandatory checks every two to four hours. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), meanwhile, has reduced the frequency of testing to once every eight hours.
BPCL communicated the revised norms to its dealers through a letter dated October 23, which included an updated standard operating procedure (SOP) for ethanol-blended motor spirit, the industry term for petrol. The revised guidelines require at least three checks a day at outlets operating round the clock and two checks at outlets that operate for fewer than 24 hours.
The increased monitoring is significant because ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it readily absorbs moisture from its surroundings. Experts have said that when E20 petrol comes into contact with water, the ethanol separates from petrol and forms a distinct water-ethanol layer at the bottom of the storage tank. This process is known as phase separation.
Dealers have been asked to use alcohol-resistant water-finding paste to detect water ingress in storage tanks. However, oil marketing companies have not specified a particular brand or product for the tests, with dealers purchasing the paste available in the market.
The Marketing Discipline Guidelines issued by the three oil marketing companies hold both fuel retailers and dealers responsible for ensuring that contaminated fuel is not sold to consumers. While oil companies are responsible for ensuring ethanol is blended in petrol according to government-prescribed limits, dealers must ensure that the right quality of fuel reaches consumers.
As of April 1, 2026, IOC operated 42,818 petrol pumps, BPCL 25,323 and HPCL 25,098. Private companies operated another 9,784 outlets, according to government data.
India's ethanol blending in petrol increased from 14.6 per cent in the ethanol supply year 2023-24 to 19.2 per cent in 2024-25. The blending level reached 20 per cent between November 2025 and March 2026, according to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell.
The first order directing more frequent water checks was issued in July, followed by another in late October, as parts of the country experienced rainfall, the Hindustan Times report added.
