220 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank: Complete Buyer's Guide
220-gallon black water storage tank built for safe potable water storage. Manufactured by Norwesco from virgin linear polyethylene (HDPE) rated to handle liquids up to 9.2 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 1.1 — 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
The 220 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank is a compact, well-balanced tank for households, hobby farms, and small irrigation setups that have outgrown a barrel. At 42 inches across and 44 inches tall it is almost as wide as it is high, a stable little drum of a tank that sits securely on a deck, a trailer, or a pump-house floor and holds enough water to matter without dominating the space.
Norwesco molds it in one seamless piece of virgin linear polyethylene, rated to 1.1 specific gravity for water-based liquids up to 9.2 pounds per gallon and a 120 F / 48 C ceiling. The black pigment keeps light off the water to discourage algae and gives the wall its best long-term UV resistance, indoors or out.
The tank weighs 60 pounds empty and about 2,078 pounds full at 1.1 SG, so a firm, level surface is all the foundation it needs. It is plumbed with a factory 2-inch NPT outlet and an included 1.5-inch NPT inlet for a clean piped fill, and a 5-inch lid handles venting and access. Norwesco's 3-year warranty against manufacturing defects covers it.
Technical Drawing
Official Norwesco technical drawing — 220 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank
Key Features and Specifications
- 220-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
- 44" tall x 42" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 60 lbs empty, approximately 2,078 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 2" NPT outlet fitting — factory installed and leak-tested
- 1.5" NPT inlet fitting included
- 5" 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 on a pallet — residential delivery with lift gate available
Installation and Setup Guide
With its near-equal width and height, this 220-gallon tank is one of the most stable small tanks you can set down. Full, it weighs about 2,078 pounds, and the squat shape keeps the center of gravity low, so installation is forgiving — though a level base still pays off.
Base
Place it on firm, level ground or a solid floor swept clean of debris. The 42-inch footprint is compact and quick to true with a level. A small slab, a paver bed, or a compacted gravel pad all work; the goal is simply continuous, flat support under the bottom so the water load presses straight down.
Connections
This tank includes both ports, so plumbing is tidy: feed the 1.5-inch inlet and draw from the 2-inch outlet. Use flexible hose for the first foot at each fitting to absorb the polyethylene's seasonal expansion, and put a shutoff valve on the outlet for service. The modest height gives a gentle gravity head, so add a small pump if you need pressure for irrigation or a sprayer.
Venting
The 5-inch lid is the vent point. Fit a screened breather sized for your draw rate so the tank takes in air as it empties; even a small tank can dent under a hard pump-down without a vent. The screen also keeps insects and debris out of the stored water.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
A 220-gallon potable tank is light, low, and easy to service. Its small volume turns over often, and you can drain, clean, and refill it without any special equipment.
Routine Checks
- Wall and base: Look over the wall for any bulge and confirm the tank sits level on its base every few months.
- Fittings: Hand-snug the 2-inch outlet and 1.5-inch inlet if they have loosened; poly threads need only hand pressure.
- Lid and vent: Check that the 5-inch lid seats fully and the vent screen is clean and intact.
Sanitizing
Drain and flush the floor periodically to clear sediment, then disinfect with the potable standard — a quarter cup of unscented bleach per fifteen gallons, held two hours in the filled tank, then drained and rinsed until the chlorine smell is gone. With only 220 gallons, this whole cycle takes very little time and water.
Sun and Cold
Indoors the tank is unaffected by UV; outdoors the black pigment and resin package protect it for years, with just an annual glance at the sun-facing side in harsh climates. A small tank chills fast, so drain it or keep it warm where freezes are common.
Alternatives and Comparisons
At 220 gallons the comparison is mostly about shape and a little about volume.
Squat-drum vs. tall upright: This 44-inch-tall, 42-inch-wide tank is built low and stable, ideal for decks, trailers, and floors where tipping or overhead clearance is a concern. A taller, narrower tank of similar volume saves a bit of floor and adds outlet pressure, which can matter for gravity-fed lines. Stepping up to a 300-gallon tank gains meaningful reserve for only a little more footprint; the 165-gallon drops down if space is tighter still.
Other 220-Gallon Options
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 220 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank last?
On a level base and within its 1.1 SG and 120 F limits, this tank delivers 15 to 20 years and frequently longer. The black UV-stabilized wall resists sunlight indoors or out, and the seamless molded body has no joint to split. Refreshing the water and sanitizing periodically keeps it sound across that span.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
It is an FDA-approved potable-water tank for drinking water, livestock, and small-scale irrigation, plus water-based liquids within its 1.1 specific-gravity rating. It is not designed for fuels, solvents, or aggressive chemistry — use a 1.5-SG liquid tank with a verified compatibility check for those.
What kind of foundation does a 220-gallon tank need?
A full 220-gallon tank weighs about 2,078 pounds, supported easily by a small slab, paver bed, or compacted gravel pad with no engineered foundation. Keep the surface flat and free of sharp objects under the full footprint and the tank is well supported.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes — Norwesco's 3-year warranty covers manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship under normal use, meaning molded-in faults rather than damage from a poor base, overfilling, incompatible chemicals, or impact. Hold onto your receipt for any claim.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. The tank wall is not engineered to resist soil pressure, so burying it risks collapse and voids the warranty. Our reinforced underground cisterns are the right product for below-grade water storage.
Buying Considerations
Three checks before this 220-gallon tank ships. First, the spot: it needs only a level area a bit over three and a half feet across, easy to find indoors or out. Second, the fittings — it includes the 2-inch outlet and 1.5-inch inlet, so match your plumbing accordingly. Third, delivery: at 60 pounds empty it palletizes for standard shipping and one or two people can place it. Listed at $450.00 before freight, with a quote to your ZIP.
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