1100 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (87" x 53") #40070: Complete Buyer's Guide
With an 87-inch base under just 53 inches of height, this 1,100-gallon Norwesco tank is among the squattest formats in the liquid-storage line — a deliberately low, wide vessel that resists wind and stays stable on rough ground. The 1.5-specific-gravity wall is rated for fertilizers and ag chemicals up to 12.5 pounds per gallon.
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
The 1100 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is the sensible step between a 1,000 and a 1,500 when stability and easy access outrank a compact footprint. Shaped like a wide drum — 87 inches across, only 53 tall — it sits low enough that an operator can look straight down into the 16-inch lid without a ladder and check a sample or level in seconds.
That broad, low form is the whole point. A 1,100-gallon load sits close to the ground and spreads across 41.3 square feet of base, so the tank is hard to tip and gentle on its foundation. Out in an open field or a windy yard, the squat profile shrugs off gusts that would worry a tall, narrow tank. Translucent white walls let you read the chemical line through the shell and reflect sun to keep the contents from heating.
Empty, the tank is a manageable 185 pounds. Full of a 1.5-SG liquid it reaches about 13,946 pounds — close to seven tons on that wide footprint, which is the number the base must support. A 2-inch outlet with a siphon tube is installed low for a near-complete draw, and the 16-inch lid handles filling and access. There is no factory inlet fitting; fill through the lid or add a bulkhead at your preferred height.
The tank is molded as one piece with no seam or weld to leak, its UV stabilizer is part of the resin, and Norwesco backs it with a 3-year defect warranty. Each unit is inspected before it leaves the plant and again on our floor.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 1100 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (87" x 53") #40070
Key Features and Specifications
- 1,100-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
- 53" tall x 87" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 185 lbs empty, approximately 13,946 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 2" with siphon tube 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
The low, wide shape of the 1100 makes it one of the more forgiving large tanks to install — but forgiving is not foolproof. Seven tons of full load still presses every imperfection in the base into the tank floor, and a wide tank that overhangs its pad develops stress right at the edge.
Site Preparation
Build a base that fully covers the 87-inch diameter with a little margin. A 4-inch compacted gravel pad or a level slab both serve well. The surface must be flat within a quarter inch across the whole width, because a wide, shallow tank tips easily on a high spot and dumps its weight onto one edge. Clear the pad of rocks and roots before setting the tank, since the flat bottom presses down on whatever lies beneath it.
Placement and Connections
Point the 2-inch siphon outlet at your pump and keep the plumbing short. Thread schedule-80 PVC or stainless into the bulkhead, tighten by hand with a final strap-wrench snug — never a pipe wrench — and put a flex coupling before any rigid pipe so the tank can expand and contract without straining the fitting. Allow two feet of clearance around the perimeter for sampling and inspection.
Venting
The wide upper surface of this tank is the part most vulnerable to vacuum, so vent capacity is critical. If your pump draws faster than the vent admits air, that broad top dimples inward. Size the lid vent to your fastest outflow, and on chemical service add a pressure-vacuum relief vent rated for the product's vapor.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
This tank is undemanding, and a brief quarterly inspection is the entire upkeep. The few minutes it takes catch the small issues before they become a wall failure.
Quarterly Inspection Checklist
- Body: Look across the wide top and down the sides for any bulge or a flattened patch at the base — both point to an overloaded wall or a settled section of pad.
- Outlet: Check the 2-inch fitting for weeping and snug it by hand as the poly relaxes around it over time.
- Foundation: Confirm the pad is still level and that runoff drains away from rather than under the tank edge.
- Vent: Keep the lid vent screen clear of dust, crust, and nests so the broad top is never starved of air.
Cleaning
Drain through the siphon outlet, then flush the interior with a rinse that neutralizes the previous chemical before switching products. The 16-inch lid is sized for a wand, not for entry, so clean from above. Catch and dispose of the rinse per the product's safety data sheet rather than letting it reach open soil.
UV and Weather Protection
The resin UV package handles years outdoors, but the sun-facing wall ages first. Once a year, run a hand over the south side and watch for chalk or fading color. In severe-sun regions, a shade panel on that face slows weathering noticeably.
Alternatives and Comparisons
The 1100-gallon class is mostly a question of proportion. This very squat 87-inch-wide tank prioritizes stability and ground-level access, ideal for open or windy sites. If footprint is tight, a taller 1,000- or 1,500-gallon tank packs comparable volume into a narrower circle at the price of a higher fill point. For batch work that needs a clean, complete drain, a cone-bottom design beats any flat-bottom vertical, which always leaves a small heel above the outlet. And for storing water, a water-grade tank is more economical because it skips the heavier 1.5-SG wall built into this chemical tank.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 1100 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (87" x 53") #40070 last?
Figure fifteen to twenty years when the tank stays within its 1.5 specific-gravity rating, sits on a flat base, and holds compatible chemistry. The seamless shell has nothing to delaminate and the UV protection is built into the resin. Early failures trace almost always to a too-heavy liquid, a vent that clogged and collapsed the wide top, or a chemical the polyethylene was never rated to hold.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
At 1.5 SG it suits most liquid fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and many acids and bases up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. Polyethylene resists those well but not strong oxidizers or many solvents, and it should never hold flammable fuels. Verify your product against a poly compatibility chart and check its specific gravity before the first fill.
What kind of foundation does a 1100-gallon tank need?
Plan for roughly 13,946 pounds spread over the 87-inch base. A 4-inch compacted gravel pad or a level concrete slab, sized to support the full diameter, handles it. Because this tank is short and very wide, flatness is the critical factor — keep the surface level within a quarter inch and free of any rock that could press into the bottom.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes — three years from Norwesco against defects in materials and workmanship, covering molding flaws, pinholes, and factory fitting defects. It does not cover overloading past 1.5 SG, chemical attack, a poor foundation, or impact damage. Keep your invoice and a few install photos for any future claim.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. This is an above-ground tank, and its flat-walled body cannot withstand the inward pressure of surrounding soil and groundwater — burial would collapse it and void the warranty. For below-grade storage, use an underground cistern engineered with ribbed, reinforced walls for that load.
Buying Considerations
Three things to confirm before ordering. First, the very low, wide shape — this tank needs 87 inches of ground width but barely four and a half feet of height, so it favors open pads over tight corners. Second, the liquid: stay at or below 1.5 specific gravity and verify the weight. Third, the freight — it ships LTL on a pallet and wants a forklift or lift gate to unload. Reach out and we will arrange delivery to your site.
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