A compact upright that holds 500 gallons on a 48-inch base — barely 12.6 square feet of floor — the Norwesco 40148 is the tank for tight chemical rooms, equipment sheds, and corners where a wider vessel simply will not fit. Its 1.5-specific-gravity wall handles 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.

Manufacturer	Norwesco
Manufacturer Part #	N-40148
Nominal Capacity	500 Gallons
Footprint (Diameter)	48"
Overall Height	73"
Empty Weight	104 lb
Material	Polyethylene (HDPE)
Color	White
Rated Specific Gravity	1.5
Certifications	IAPMO certified, CSA certified, FDA-compliant resin
Warranty	3-year limited (full replacement)
Shipping	Ships LTL motor freight

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 500 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is sized and shaped for cramped quarters. At 73 inches tall on a slim 48-inch base, it stands like a column and claims very little floor — the kind of tank you can stand in a back corner of a shop, against a wall in a chemical bay, or in a spot too narrow for anything broader. The 16-inch lid sits a bit above head height, so a small step gives easy access for filling or sampling.

The upright form earns its keep on real estate. Five hundred gallons over just 12.6 square feet means the tank goes where floor space is the binding constraint, and the standing liquid column gives the outlet a useful head for feeding a pump or a gravity line. Translucent white walls let you read the level through the shell, and the white pigment reflects sun to keep contents cooler outdoors.

Empty it is only 104 pounds — easily walked into place by two people. Filled with a 1.5-SG liquid it reaches about 6,359 pounds, a bit over three tons that the base beneath the narrow footprint must carry. A 2-inch NPT outlet is installed at the bottom, and the 16-inch lid handles filling and interior access. No inlet fitting ships from the factory; top-fill through the lid or add a bulkhead at the height your plumbing prefers.

One-piece rotational molding leaves no seam or weld to leak, the UV stabilizer is compounded into the resin, and Norwesco's 3-year warranty covers manufacturing defects. Each tank is inspected before it leaves our dock.

Technical Drawing

Official Norwesco technical drawing — 500 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (48" x 73")

Key Features and Specifications

500-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
73" tall x 48" diameter — compact vertical footprint
104 lbs empty, approximately 6,359 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
2 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
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

The 500 is light and easy to position, but its tall, narrow shape means a level base and a little restraint matter more than the modest weight suggests. Three tons over a small footprint still presses hard on whatever is underneath.

Site Preparation

Place it on a firm, flat surface that fully supports the 48-inch base — a slab, a paver bed, or a well-compacted pad. Level it within a quarter inch across the base; on a column this tall, a slight tilt grows into a noticeable lean as the tank fills. Clear away rocks and sharp objects first, since the flat bottom carries the load directly onto the surface. If it stands empty outdoors in wind, a simple tie-down keeps the light, tall shell from walking.

Placement and Connections

Orient the 2-inch outlet toward your pump and keep the plumbing short. Thread schedule-80 PVC or stainless into the bulkhead, hand-tighten and finish with a strap wrench, and add a flex coupling before any rigid pipe to absorb the tank's thermal movement. A foot and a half of clearance around the tank is enough to sample and inspect at this size.

Venting

Even a small tank can be collapsed by a fast pump if the vent cannot keep up. Make sure the lid vent admits air at least as fast as your pump draws liquid, and on chemical service fit a pressure-vacuum relief vent matched to the product's vapor.

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Maintenance and Long-Term Care

This is about as low-maintenance as a chemical tank gets. A quick quarterly look-over keeps it healthy for the long haul.

Quarterly Inspection Checklist

Shell: Check the column for any bulge or a flattened spot at the base that would signal an overloaded wall or a settled pad.
Outlet: Feel the 2-inch fitting for weeping and snug it by hand as the poly relaxes around it.
Base: Confirm the surface is still level and nothing has slipped under the narrow footprint.
Vent: Keep the lid vent screen clear so the tall wall is never starved of air on a fast draw.

Cleaning

Drain through the 2-inch outlet, then rinse the interior with a solution that neutralizes the previous chemical before switching products. The 16-inch lid is sized for a wand, not entry, so clean from above. Collect the rinse and dispose of it according to the chemical's safety data sheet.

UV and Weather Protection

The in-resin UV package carries this tank through years outdoors; just check the south-facing wall once a year for chalking. In harsh sun, tucking the tank under a roof overhang or a simple shade extends its life.

Alternatives and Comparisons

The 500-gallon size comes in two practical shapes. This tall, slim 48-inch model is the floor-space saver and develops good outlet head, ideal for tight rooms. A squat 550 with a wider base is steadier and reachable without a step but needs more floor — a better trailer or open-pad choice. For batch work needing a full drain, a cone-bottom tank empties cleaner than this flat bottom. And for water, a water-grade tank costs less by skipping the heavier 1.5-SG wall this chemical version carries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will the 500 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (48" x 73") last?

Fifteen to twenty years is realistic when the tank stays within its 1.5 specific-gravity rating, sits level, and holds compatible chemistry. With no seams and UV protection in the resin, the shell is durable; the failures that shorten it are an overloaded wall, a vent that clogged and pulled a vacuum, or a chemical the polyethylene cannot resist.

What chemicals can I store in this tank?

At 1.5 SG it handles most liquid fertilizers, crop chemicals, and many acids and bases up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. Polyethylene resists those but not strong oxidizers or many solvents, and never flammable fuels. Check your product on a poly compatibility chart and confirm its specific gravity before filling.

What kind of foundation does a 500-gallon tank need?

A full load is about 6,359 pounds over the small 48-inch base. A firm, level slab, paver bed, or compacted pad that fully supports the diameter is sufficient. Because the tank is tall and narrow, keep the surface flat within a quarter inch and free of any rock under the bottom.

Does this tank come with a warranty?

Yes — three years from Norwesco against defects in materials and workmanship: molding defects, pinholes, and faulty factory fittings. Overloading past 1.5 SG, chemical attack, a poor base, and impact damage are excluded. Keep your invoice and install photos for any claim.

Can I install this tank underground?

No. This is an above-ground tank; its flat walls cannot resist burial pressure and would collapse, voiding the warranty. For below-grade needs, choose a ribbed, reinforced underground cistern built for soil loads.

Buying Considerations

Three quick checks before you order. First, the footprint — this tank is tall and slim, made for tight floors, so confirm you have 73 inches of height and step access to the lid. Second, the liquid: keep it at or under 1.5 specific gravity and verify its weight. Third, freight — it ships on a pallet by LTL and unloads easily with a lift gate. Give us a call to set up delivery.