6500 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (120" x 147"): Complete Buyer's Guide
6,500-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 6500 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is large-scale chemical and fertilizer storage for industrial sites, dealerships, and big agricultural operations that move liquid in bulk. At over twelve feet tall on a ten-foot base, it banks 6500 gallons in a single rotomolded vessel, balancing serious capacity against a footprint that still fits a standard concrete pad area.
It is molded in one continuous piece from virgin linear polyethylene with a 1.5 specific gravity rating, engineered for the dense liquids of industry — chemicals, liquid fertilizers, and concentrates up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. The translucent white wall does two jobs at once: it lets operators gauge the level from the ground and it reflects sunlight to keep the stored chemical cooler through the day.
Empty, the tank weighs 1,346 pounds; filled with a 1.5-SG liquid it puts roughly 82,661 pounds — over forty tons — onto the foundation, which makes professional structural design essential. A factory 2-inch NPT outlet feeds the discharge plumbing and a 16-inch lid provides top access. No inlet fitting is supplied, so you drill and install a bulkhead at the height your system needs.
Key Features and Specifications
- 6,500-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
- 147" tall x 120" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 1346 lbs empty, approximately 82,661 lbs when full at rated specific gravity
- 3" with 2" Reducer and 3" 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
- 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
A 6500-gallon tank at 147 inches tall on a 120-inch base is a heavy vertical column whose full 1.5-SG load reaches about 82,661 pounds — over forty tons. The height brings wind and plumb into play and the mass makes the foundation paramount; the broad 120-inch flat bottom spreads the load over nearly 79 square feet but also magnifies any defect in the pad beneath it.
Site Preparation
Plan a reinforced concrete foundation engineered by a structural professional for the full 82,661-pound load and your soil, extending past the 120-inch base and screeded flat to a quarter inch across its full ten-foot width. At forty-plus tons, a low spot does not merely overstress the wall — it can settle progressively and lean a tall chemical column, which is both a structural and a safety problem.
Placement and Connections
Run the discharge off the factory 2-inch outlet at the base of a twelve-foot liquid column, where head pressure is high, and isolate it with a chemically compatible flexible coupling so the tank's movement never loads the bulkhead. With no inlet fitted, drill and install a compatible bulkhead at your chosen fill height. Keep the plumbing rated for the stored chemical and hand-tighten all poly threads a quarter turn past snug.
Venting
Pulling 6500 gallons out demands a large air exchange back in, and for chemical service the vent choice matters as much as the plumbing. Keep the 16-inch lid's relief path open, and for volatile or fuming chemistries fit a pressure/vacuum relief vent rated to the specific chemical rather than a plain screen. On a tall, full chemical tank, a blocked vent can collapse a sidewall during a hard draw-down.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
A 6500-gallon chemical tank is industrial infrastructure, and its care is set by chemical service and a forty-ton structural load — not by potable-water habits. The translucent wall makes ground-level monitoring easy, and the routine below protects the vessel, the engineered foundation, and the workers around it.
Quarterly Inspection Checklist
- Wall scan: Use the translucent shell to read the full height for bulging, stress whitening, or discoloration; on an 82,661-pound column these are the first structural warnings.
- Outlet and bulkhead check: Inspect the 2-inch outlet and your installed inlet for chemical weeping and confirm both fittings remain compatible with the stored liquid.
- Foundation audit: Examine the slab and perimeter for cracking or settling, since at forty-plus tons foundation movement is the dominant failure mode for a tall column.
- Vent verification: Confirm the pressure/vacuum relief or vent remains free and correctly rated for the current contents.
Cleaning
Clean by decontamination according to the chemical stored — follow the chemical manufacturer's procedures before switching products, and never rely on a simple rinse when changing chemistries in a vessel this large. The 2-inch outlet drains the bulk, but a tank of this height calls for planned, safe entry or remote cleaning under confined-space and chemical-handling protocols. This is a chemical-storage tank; do not repurpose it for potable water without full documented decontamination.
UV and Weather Protection
The translucent white wall reflects sunlight to keep the chemical cooler and carries UV stabilizer in the resin, but on a tank this exposed, inspect the sun-facing height annually for chalking. The white pigment's reflectivity is a genuine advantage on a large outdoor chemical tank, moderating the day-night thermal cycling that otherwise stresses the wall.
Alternatives and Comparisons
At 6500 gallons this tank sits just below the 8400-gallon giant and well above the mid-size verticals. If your need is smaller, the 2500- and 2000-gallon vertical liquid tanks ease both the load and the foundation; if it is larger, the 8400-gallon tank or a manifolded bank of tanks carries more. Weigh loaded weights and footprints — this one already commits you to a professionally engineered slab.
Vertical vs. Horizontal: Vertical tanks use less floor space for the same capacity but require more overhead clearance. If you have height restrictions, consider a horizontal or low-profile tank. Vertical tanks also drain more completely due to gravity — the liquid column above the outlet creates positive pressure all the way to the last few gallons.
Other 6500-Gallon Options
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 6500 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank - Natural White (120" x 147") last?
On an engineered foundation, within its 1.5 SG and 120°F limits, and serviced for the chemicals it holds, this 6500-gallon tank reliably reaches well past fifteen years. The seamless wall has no weld to part; foundation settlement, incompatible or overweight chemicals, or vent failure are what shorten a tank of this size, never the polyethylene.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
Rated to 1.5 specific gravity, it stores dense industrial chemicals and liquid fertilizers up to 12.5 pounds per gallon, but verify each chemical against a polyethylene compatibility chart before use. Fuels, solvents, and anything flammable are strictly off-limits. Treat it as a dedicated chemical-storage vessel rather than a drinking-water tank.
What kind of foundation does a 6500-gallon tank need?
A load near 82,661 pounds on a tall column requires a reinforced concrete foundation engineered by a structural professional for the full weight, the overturning moment, and your soil, sized past the 120-inch base and held flat to a quarter inch. At forty-plus tons there is no informal alternative.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes — Norwesco's 3-year warranty covers manufacturing defects under normal use: factory faults, not overloading past 1.5 SG, foundation failure, chemical attack, or impact. Keep your receipt and full foundation and installation records on an asset this size.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. Built only for above-ground service, the flat wall cannot bear soil pressure, and burying it both wrecks the tank and voids the warranty. Use purpose-built ribbed underground tanks for any below-grade storage.
Buying Considerations
Before ordering, settle three things: engage a structural engineer to design the foundation for the full 82,661-pound load and the column's overturning forces, confirm the footprint plus the overhead clearance a twelve-foot tank needs, and arrange specialized freight with a crane and clear access, as a 1,346-pound empty tank this large cannot be set by ordinary means.
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