1050 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank: Complete Buyer's Guide
The 1,050-gallon vertical is a study in extreme proportions — 134 inches tall on just a 48-inch base. That nearly 3-to-1 height-to-diameter ratio packs over a thousand gallons of chemical storage into a four-foot circle, with a 1.5 specific-gravity wall and a 2-inch siphon-tube outlet for true full-draw service.
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 1.5 — the tank is engineered for liquids up to 1.5× the density of water (water is about 8.34 lb/gal). Confirm your fluid’s SG before storage.
Product Overview
Most thousand-gallon tanks sprawl — a typical 1,000-gallon vessel runs six feet across. The 1,050-gallon takes the opposite path: it stands more than eleven feet tall on a 48-inch base, trading floor area for height. For a chemical building with a tall bay, a spot tucked between equipment, or a footprint-constrained yard, that slender geometry is the entire reason this tank exists. It stores a thousand gallons in roughly 12.5 square feet of floor.
It's rotomolded by Norwesco as a single seamless piece of virgin linear polyethylene and rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, so the wall is built for liquids up to 12.5 pounds per gallon — the dense ag chemicals, liquid fertilizers, and treatment solutions a tank this size is bought to hold. The thing to understand about a 134-inch column is the hydrostatic head: with the liquid stacked eleven feet high, the pressure at the base is substantial, and the wall is graduated thicker toward the bottom to carry it. That engineering is also why the foundation under this tank is not a place to cut corners.
Empty, the tank weighs 220 pounds. Filled with a 1.5-SG product it loads the pad with roughly 13,356 pounds — over six and a half tons concentrated on a four-foot circle, which is a serious point load your slab has to be designed for. The translucent natural-white wall gives an exceptionally tall, fine-resolution level gauge: small volume changes move the visible level a long way, so you can gauge contents precisely from the ground. Service temperature caps at 120°F, with UV stabilizers compounded into the resin for outdoor life.
The outlet is a 2-inch fitting with a 2-inch siphon tube, factory-installed and leak-tested. The siphon tube is worth noting: it draws from low in the tank for a more complete pull-down, useful when you're trying to use the full thousand gallons rather than stranding product above a side outlet. The 16-inch lid gives generous fill, vent, and inspection access. Norwesco's 3-year warranty applies, and the tank ships LTL freight on a pallet with liftgate available.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 1050 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank
Key Features and Specifications
- 1,050-gallon capacity — sized for agricultural chemical and fertilizer storage
- Constructed from virgin linear polyethylene (HDPE) with 1.5 specific gravity rating — handles liquids up to 12.5 lbs/gal
- 134" tall x 48" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 220 lbs empty, approximately 13,356 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 2" fitting with 2" siphon NPT outlet fitting — factory installed and leak-tested
- 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
- Translucent white walls allow visual level monitoring without opening the tank and reflect sunlight to keep contents cooler
- 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
- Install on a level, compacted surface. Ensure adequate clearance above for lid access and around the perimeter for plumbing connections and visual inspection
- Ships via LTL freight — allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Lift gate and residential delivery available at additional cost
Installation and Setup Guide
An eleven-foot column over a four-foot base makes the 1,050-gallon one of the most foundation-critical tanks in the catalog. The physics are unforgiving: a tall, slender, heavily loaded tank concentrates enormous pressure on a small slab and amplifies any tilt into real wall stress. Get the base right and everything else follows.
Site Preparation
This tank wants an engineered concrete pad, not a casual gravel bed — you're supporting over six and a half tons on a 48-inch circle. Pour or specify a slab thick enough and reinforced enough for that point load, dead level within a quarter inch across the diameter. Even a small out-of-level condition leans an eleven-foot column noticeably and shifts the load to one side of the base. Confirm the subgrade is compacted and won't settle differentially under the concentrated weight.
Placement and Connections
Plumb the 2-inch siphon-tube outlet for the shortest run to your pump. Because the siphon draws from low in the tank, keep the line geometry clean so you don't trap air that would break the siphon mid-draw. Install a flexible coupling at the bulkhead — a tank this tall expands, contracts, and sways slightly with thermal cycling, and a rigid connection on a heavily loaded fitting will eventually fail. Provide stable access to reach the 16-inch lid eleven feet up; plan for a platform or ladder rather than improvising it later.
Venting
A tall tank under fast draw is highly vulnerable to vacuum collapse, and the 2-inch outlet can move product quickly. Size the vent in the 16-inch lid to match or exceed your maximum draw rate — an undersized vent on a tank this tall is a textbook cause of dramatic inward buckling. For off-gassing chemistry, use a pressure/vacuum relief vent rated to the vapor rather than a plain screen.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
Maintaining a tank this tall is about two things its geometry makes critical: keeping the column dead plumb and protecting the high-stress base region. Both reward a disciplined look on a set schedule.
Quarterly Inspection Checklist
- Plumb: Sight the eleven-foot column against a true vertical — a building corner or a plumb line. Any developing lean means the slab is settling, and on a tank this tall a lean translates fast into asymmetric wall loading. Stop and correct the base before refilling.
- Base region: The bottom few feet carry the highest hydrostatic load. Inspect that zone closely for any bulge, distortion, or change in wall appearance, particularly after running a denser product.
- Siphon outlet: Check the 2-inch fitting and confirm the siphon is drawing cleanly with no air leak that would break the pull-down. Hand-tighten only.
- Vent: Verify the vent is open and sized to the draw — the failure mode that wrecks tall tanks fastest.
Cleaning and Changeover
Before switching chemicals, drain and flush per the outgoing product's procedure. The siphon tube actually helps here by pulling the tank down more completely, but inspect through the 16-inch lid to confirm the floor is clear of settled solids — in a thousand-gallon tank, even a thin sediment layer is a meaningful volume. Confirm the polyethylene is compatible with the incoming chemistry and capture rinsate as the label requires.
UV and Heat
An eleven-foot wall presents a large face to the sun. Inspect the exposed side yearly for chalking; in a hard-UV region this tank's tall profile makes shade or a westward placement a worthwhile investment to reach the upper end of its service life. Plan it before degradation sets in.
Alternatives and Comparisons
A thousand gallons of vertical storage comes in two very different shapes, and the choice is dictated by your building:
This tall column versus a standard 6-foot-wide 1,000-gallon: the slender 1,050 wins decisively on floor space but demands serious vertical clearance and a stout engineered pad. The conventional wide tank is far more forgiving on the foundation and easier to access, at the cost of a much larger footprint. If you have eleven-plus feet of height and a tight floor, this is the tank; if not, the wide version is the safer pick.
The siphon-tube advantage: if complete pull-down matters to your process, this tank's low-draw siphon outlet recovers more of the stored volume than a plain side outlet on a comparable tank.
Other 1050-Gallon Options
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 1050 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank last?
Fifteen to twenty years is realistic with an engineered, level pad and use inside the 1.5-SG and 120°F limits. On a tank this tall, the dominant life factor is foundation performance — differential settlement that puts the column under a chronic lean is what shortens it. Keep it plumb and the seamless rotomolded wall reaches the top of the range.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
The 1.5-SG rating covers ag chemicals, liquid fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and treatment and industrial solutions up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. Not for fuels, solvents, or flammables. Verify the specific chemical against a compatibility chart — polyethylene resists most acids and bases but is attacked by certain hydrocarbons and strong oxidizers.
What kind of foundation does a 1050-gallon tank need?
This one needs an engineered concrete slab, not a gravel pad — you're supporting roughly 13,356 pounds on a 48-inch circle, so the point load is high and the subgrade must not settle unevenly. Specify the slab for that concentrated weight and pour it dead level within a quarter inch. The tall column makes a level base non-negotiable.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes — Norwesco's 3-year warranty covers factory material and workmanship defects. It excludes over-spec products, improper or unlevel installation (a real concern on a tall heavily loaded tank), incompatible-chemical attack, and impact damage. Keep your receipt and documentation of the engineered pad and level install.
Can I install this tank underground?
No — this is an above-ground vertical, and a tall slender tank is among the worst candidates for burial given how soil pressure would crush the cylindrical wall. For below-grade storage, use a purpose-built underground cistern engineered for soil load.
Buying Considerations
This tank has three hard requirements, not just preferences. You need genuine vertical clearance — 134 inches plus room to access the lid safely. You need an engineered slab sized for over six and a half tons on a small circle. And you need to confirm your product is at or under 1.5 SG, since a denser load on an eleven-foot column is exactly the wrong place to exceed the rating. Get those three right and the tank's footprint efficiency is hard to beat. Ships LTL on a pallet; request a liftgate if you lack a dock or forklift, and plan how you'll raise and set an eleven-foot tank on site.
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