1000 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank - Black (64" x 80"): Complete Buyer's Guide
A 1,000-gallon black water tank from Norwesco in a tall, narrow 64-inch build, seamlessly molded in FDA-grade polyethylene to slot into side yards and equipment bays.
Specifications at a Glance
Every figure below is pulled straight from the live product record for this exact tank — the same data on the product page, so what you read here and what you buy never disagree.
Standards & Materials
- ASTM D1998 — Standard Specification for Polyethylene Upright Storage Tanks. Governs wall-thickness and hydrostatic design for vertical rotomolded poly tanks of this class.
- FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 — Olefin polymers. The food-contact regulation the FDA-grade resin in this tank is compounded to meet.
- Specific gravity rating 1.1 — the tank is engineered for liquids up to 1.1× the density of water (water is about 8.34 lb/gal). Confirm your fluid’s SG before storage.
Product Overview
One thousand gallons is the workhorse number in water storage — big enough to matter, small enough to handle — and this black Norwesco delivers it in a 64-inch diameter that stands 80 inches tall. The narrow base is deliberate: at just under 24 square feet of ground it slides into side yards, equipment bays, and the gap beside a pump house where a squatter 1,000 simply will not fit. Empty, the 159-pound shell is a two-person lift.
The tank is rotomolded as a single seamless piece of virgin linear polyethylene with UV black pigment in the resin itself, so the wall stops sunlight cold and your stored water stays dark and clear. Its 1.1 specific gravity rating covers water and compatible liquids to 9.2 pounds per gallon, and it holds FDA approval for potable and food-grade use.
Filled with water the tank loads its pad with about 9,333 pounds, so build for nearly five tons even though the empty tank feels light. A 2-inch NPT outlet and a 1.5-inch NPT inlet come factory-installed and leak-tested, and the 16-inch lid gives clean access for cleaning or a level float. Norwesco's 3-year warranty stands behind it.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 1000 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank - Black (64" x 80")
Key Features and Specifications
- 1,000-gallon capacity — sized for safe potable water storage
- Constructed from virgin linear polyethylene (HDPE) with 1.1 specific gravity rating — handles liquids up to 9.2 lbs/gal
- 80" tall x 64" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 159 lbs empty, approximately 9,333 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 2" NPT outlet fitting — factory installed and leak-tested
- 1.5" NPT inlet fitting included
- 16" lid opening for fill, venting, and interior access
- FDA approved for potable water and food-grade liquid contact
- 3 Year Warranty from Norwesco against manufacturing defects
- UV-resistant black pigmentation provides maximum outdoor durability and inhibits algae growth in stored liquids
- Rated for continuous service up to 120 F / 48 C
- Seamless one-piece rotational molding — no seams, no welds, no leak points
- Manufactured by Norwesco — a leading name in rotomolded polyethylene tanks
- Place on a firm, level surface free of rocks or sharp objects that could damage the tank bottom. Ensure adequate ventilation if stored chemicals produce vapors
- Ships via LTL freight — allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Lift gate and residential delivery available at additional cost
Installation and Setup Guide
The tall-and-narrow 1,000 is easy to place and unforgiving of a careless pad. Its small 64-inch footprint concentrates nearly five tons into a tight circle, which means any flaw in the foundation is magnified rather than spread out.
Site Preparation
Find ground that drains and lay a four-inch compacted gravel pad or pour a slab covering the full 64-inch base. Flatness is the whole game — a quarter inch of variation across the circle is the limit. Because the footprint is small, there is little room for the load to find a level patch on its own, so do the leveling yourself before the tank arrives. Clear away rock and root entirely.
Placement and Connections
Leave two feet of access on every side even though the tank is slim; the tall shell needs room to be serviced and inspected, not just plumbed. Point the 2-inch outlet at the shortest run to your distribution. Use flexible connectors off both the outlet and the 1.5-inch inlet, because rigid pipe fights the tank's thermal movement and loses.
Venting
Even a 1,000-gallon tank will collapse a wall if it cannot pull air in as fast as you draw water out. A screened vent in the lid, sized to your pump rate, equalizes pressure both directions and bars insects from the water. Skipping it is the most common avoidable mistake on a tank this size.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
Maintenance on the 1,000 is a few minutes a quarter. Catch the small things — a loose fitting, a clogged vent, a settling pad — and the big things never happen.
Quarterly Inspection Checklist
- Visual sweep: walk the shell looking for a bulge, a soft spot, or fading low on the wall. Poly distorts before it breaks, so a visible change is your early warning.
- Fittings: snug the 2-inch outlet and 1.5-inch inlet by hand — a quarter turn past finger-tight is the maximum, and a pipe wrench is how poly bulkheads crack.
- Foundation: verify the slim base is still fully supported and the pad has not washed out on one edge — a small footprint leaves less margin.
- Vent: make sure the lid vent screen is open and clear of nests or debris.
Cleaning
As a potable water tank, give it an annual flush. Drain it low, sanitize with roughly a quarter cup of unscented bleach per 15 gallons of fresh water, hold for two hours, and rinse until the chlorine is gone. The 16-inch lid is wide enough to reach in and wipe the bottom dish where sediment gathers.
UV and Weather Protection
Black is the right pigment for sun exposure, and this resin carries UV stabilizers that keep the wall sound for years. In extreme sun belts, glance at the sun-facing panel annually for chalk; a small shade structure extends life noticeably where afternoons run brutal.
Alternatives and Comparisons
This 1,000-gallon black tank in its tall 64-by-80 form is the space-saver of the family. A wider 1,000 (64 diameter is already lean, but some builds run shorter and fatter) sits more stably where ground is plentiful; the natural-white liquid version of this exact shell swaps the algae-blocking black wall for a translucent one you can gauge by eye, which is what you want for a farm chemical rather than drinking water. Need more reserve in the same slot? The 1,350 stacks extra volume into a similar footprint.
Other 1000-Gallon Options
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 1000 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank - Black (64" x 80") last?
Expect 15 to 20 years, trending long when the tank sits level and stays inside its 1.1 SG and 120 F limits. The molded-in black UV package is what carries it through years of direct sun, and the one-piece mold leaves no seam to fail. A true, flat pad is the other half of a long life.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
It is built for potable water and FDA-cleared for drinking water and food-grade liquids. Within 1.1 specific gravity it also holds light farm and cleaning solutions. No fuels, no solvents, nothing flammable, and nothing heavier than 9.2 pounds per gallon. Check any new chemical on a compatibility chart first.
What kind of foundation does a 1000-gallon tank need?
Full of water it weighs about 9,333 pounds on a tight 64-inch circle, so the pad carries nearly five tons in a small area. A four-inch gravel bed or a concrete slab works; flat and stone-free matters more than thick. The compact footprint gives the load nowhere to self-level, so do the leveling carefully.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Norwesco warrants it three years against manufacturing defects — molding faults, pinholes, factory fitting defects. Not covered: overloading past 1.1 SG, bad foundations, incompatible chemicals, and impacts. Keep the receipt and install photos for any claim.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. It is an above-ground tank whose walls cannot take soil pressure; burial risks collapse and voids the warranty. Use a ribbed underground cistern if you need below-grade water storage.
Buying Considerations
Three quick checks. First, that you have a small but perfectly level patch — the narrow base needs care, not space. Second, that your liquid is water-weight or lighter, at or under 1.1 SG. Third, the freight: this tank ships LTL on a flatbed and needs a forklift to unload. Call us with your access details and we will set up the delivery.
Related Products You May Need
Questions? Call (866) 418-1777 — our team knows these products inside and out and can help you select the right tank for your application.
Recommended Tanks for This Guide
Live pricing, updated automatically · estimate freight to your ZIP.
