The sump a spill pallet needs under one, two and four 205-litre drums, by country, with the pallets that pass and the calculator set up for each.
In the UK a single 205-litre drum needs a spill pallet sump of 226 litres, more than a 202-litre single-drum pallet holds. Two and four drums need the same 226, because 110 per cent of one drum beats a quarter of four. On a drip tray, four drums need 205.
Open the calculator for four drums One drum Two drums
Minimum sump for 205-litre drums of oil or fuel, as the calculator works it out for each place it covers.
| Where | 1 drum | 2 drums | 4 drums | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Wales | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Scotland | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Northern Ireland | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Ireland | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Germany | 205 L* | 205 L | 205 L | Open |
| France | 205 L | 410 L | 800 L | Open |
| Netherlands | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Spain | 205 L | 205 L | 205 L | Open |
| United States | 205 L* | 205 L* | 205 L* | Open |
| Canada | 205 L | 410 L | 820 L | Open |
| Australia | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| New Zealand | 205 L* | 410 L* | 820 L* | Open |
| Singapore | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
| Japan | 226 L | 226 L | 226 L | Open |
* Outside that place’s rule at this quantity; the figure is the right size for a pallet bought by choice. Flammable liquids and chemicals can take a different rule: pick the liquid in the calculator.
| Store | Bund | Drip tray | Smallest pallet that passes as a bund |
|---|---|---|---|
| One drum | 226 L | 52 L | F21-SP-203, 260 L |
| Two drums | 226 L | 103 L | F21-SP-203, 260 L |
| Four drums | 226 L | 205 L | F21-SP-401, 250 L |
Check two things the sump figure does not: the pallet’s load rating with the drums full, and its footprint against the drums you stand on it. Our guide to choosing a spill pallet covers both.
In the UK, a sump of at least 226 litres: 110 per cent of one 205-litre drum, which is more than a quarter of all four (205). On a drip tray the figure is 205 litres. Rules elsewhere range from the largest drum alone to all four.
Because 110 per cent of a 205-litre drum is 226 litres. A sump that holds the drum but not the extra 10 per cent fails the bund rule, though it passes as a drip tray, which needs 52.
In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, drums may stand on a drip tray that holds 25 per cent of their combined capacity. Whether a given pallet counts as a drip tray is for your regulator to decide; sizing to the bund figure removes the question.
The standards and regulations this page relies on, at their issuing body. Where a market rule is named here, check the current revision before you specify against it.
Figures worked out by our spill pallet calculator, applying each rule as read from the official text on 3 October 2026.
Tell us how many drums, what they hold and where. We come back with the pallet that passes, its load rating and a quotation.