15000 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank: Complete Buyer's Guide
15,000-gallon white liquid storage tank built for agricultural chemical and fertilizer storage. Manufactured by Norwesco from virgin linear polyethylene (HDPE) rated to handle liquids up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. FDA approved for contact with potable water, ensuring safe storage for drinking water and food-grade liquids.
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 15,000 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is heavy industrial bulk storage, and at this scale the engineering changes in a way worth understanding: the outlet is no longer a molded threaded fitting but a stainless-steel bolted fitting, mechanically clamped through the wall for the higher loads and larger flows that a tank this size involves. Fifteen thousand gallons serves major fertilizer terminals, large municipal treatment plants, and industrial process operations.
Norwesco rotationally molds the body in one seamless piece of virgin linear polyethylene rated to 1.5 specific gravity, handling agricultural and industrial liquids to 12.5 pounds per gallon. The translucent natural-white wall lets operators gauge inventory from the ground and reflects sunlight to keep the contents cooler, with compounded UV inhibitors and a 120 F / 48 C ceiling.
It stands 186 inches tall — over fifteen feet — on a 165-inch base, weighs 3,314 pounds empty, and reaches roughly 190,964 pounds full at 1.5 SG, nearly ninety-six tons that requires a heavily engineered foundation. The 3-inch stainless-steel bolted fitting comes with a 3-inch by 5.5-inch siphon for full draw-down, and the 22-inch lid permits interior access. A 3-year Norwesco warranty against manufacturing defects covers the tank.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 15000 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank
Key Features and Specifications
- 15,000-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
- 186" tall x 165" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 3314 lbs empty, approximately 190,964 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 3" SS Bolted Fitting with 3" x 5-1/2" siphon NPT outlet fitting — factory installed and leak-tested
- 22" 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
- Large tanks require professional installation. Ensure the pad is level within 1 inch across the full diameter and that all piping connections allow for thermal expansion
- Ships via dedicated freight carrier due to oversized dimensions — contact us for delivery timeline and site access requirements
Installation and Setup Guide
Ninety-six tons of chemical fifteen feet in the air makes this a heavily engineered installation from the foundation up, with the stainless-steel bolted outlet adding its own attention to detail at the wall penetration.
Heavily Engineered Foundation
A structural engineer must design a reinforced concrete slab for roughly 190,964 pounds over the 165-inch base, flat within one inch across the full diameter and built as substantial secondary containment for the regulated volume. At this weight the slab specification is non-trivial — reinforcement, thickness, and soil-bearing capacity all matter. Cure it completely and grade the site comprehensively for spill capture.
The Stainless Bolted Fitting
Unlike the molded threaded fittings on smaller tanks, the 3-inch stainless-steel bolted fitting is mechanically assembled through the wall with gaskets that must be compatible with your chemistry. During installation and at every inspection, confirm the bolt torque is even and the gaskets are sound, since this fitting carries the full hydrostatic load of a fifteen-thousand-gallon column. Plumb from it in schedule 80 PVC or stainless with the siphon drawing the tank down completely.
Venting
Fit a large pressure/vacuum relief vent in the 22-inch lid, rated for your chemical and sized to bulk transfer rates. A tank this tall and large will pull a hard vacuum on a fast draw if under-vented; size the vent generously and keep it screened and clear.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
A 15,000-gallon chemical tank with a stainless bolted fitting is maintained with utility-grade rigor: foundation surveillance under ninety-six tons, chemical-compatibility monitoring, and specific attention to the mechanical outlet.
Scheduled Inspection
- Foundation and containment: Inspect the heavy slab, curbing, and grade for cracks, settlement, and containment breaches on a strict cycle. At ninety-six tons, foundation drift is the gravest risk.
- Stainless bolted fitting: Beyond the usual leak check, verify even bolt torque and gasket integrity at the mechanical outlet, which carries the full column load and is the most maintenance-specific feature of this tank.
- Wall: Read the lower wall for bulging or stress whitening and watch for any swelling that signals a compatibility problem with the stored chemical.
Product Changes
Take the tank offline, drain through the siphon, clean the interior via the 22-inch lid under confined-space procedures, decontaminate per the incoming chemical's specification, and verify the new product on a polyethylene compatibility chart. Confirm the bolted-fitting gaskets remain compatible with the new chemistry. The tank has no potable role; cleaning is compatibility and carryover control.
UV and Heat
Years of sun are handled by the compounded UV package; give the sun-facing side a yearly inspection in high-UV regions. The reflective white finish helps moderate internal temperature and vapor pressure across the tank's substantial sun-exposed surface.
Alternatives and Comparisons
At 15,000 gallons you are in the upper tier of poly bulk storage, where the stainless bolted fitting and the foundation scale set the tank apart.
Single large tank vs. multiple mid-size tanks: A single 15,000-gallon tank gives the lowest cost per gallon and one set of plumbing for very high-volume chemical storage, but it concentrates a great deal in one vessel and one heavily engineered foundation. Two or three 5,000- to 6,500-gallon tanks cost more and need more containment area, yet they allow product variety, let you isolate one for service, and divide the foundation load. For a single dominant high-volume chemical the big tank leads; for flexibility and redundancy, the multi-tank array is worth the premium.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 15000 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank last?
On a heavily engineered containment foundation and within its 1.5 SG and 120 F ratings, this tank readily serves 15 to 20 years. The compounded UV package and seamless shell are built for it, and the stainless bolted fitting is a durable mechanical outlet when its gaskets and torque are maintained. Foundation soundness and chemical compatibility decide the rest.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
Its 1.5 specific-gravity rating spans most liquid fertilizers, crop-protection chemistry, and industrial solutions to 12.5 pounds per gallon. Confirm each product on a polyethylene compatibility chart and ensure it suits the bolted-fitting gaskets, since the resin resists many acids and bases but not certain solvents and oxidizers. No fuels or flammables. It is a chemical tank, not a potable-water vessel.
What kind of foundation does a 15000-gallon tank need?
A full 15,000-gallon tank weighs about 190,964 pounds at 1.5 SG — nearly ninety-six tons. That demands a heavily engineered reinforced concrete slab designed by a structural professional, flat within one inch across the full diameter and built as substantial secondary containment. The foundation specification is the most consequential part of the project.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes. Norwesco's 3-year warranty covers manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. It excludes damage from incompatible chemicals, exceeding the rated density, an inadequate foundation, or impact. Keep full documentation and photographs of the engineered containment foundation and installation.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. A tank of this scale is engineered for above-ground service and cannot resist the soil pressure of burial, which would collapse it and void the warranty. Below-grade storage of this magnitude requires purpose-engineered reinforced structures, not an above-ground poly tank.
Buying Considerations
Three major commitments come with a 15,000-gallon tank. First, the heavily engineered containment foundation: a reinforced slab sized for ninety-six tons, designed by a structural professional, curbed for containment, and cured before delivery. Second, access — the oversized fifteen-foot shell needs a clear approach for a flatbed and a crane. Third, your chemistry, verified against a polyethylene compatibility chart, including the stainless bolted-fitting gaskets. The tank ships on a dedicated carrier; we arrange the delivery timing and site access to your ZIP. Listed at $23,000.00 before freight.
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.
