Over six thousand gallons standing more than sixteen feet tall — a column of bulk chemical storage that holds upward of forty tons when full. The 6502-gallon vertical is large-site infrastructure, with a 3-inch siphon outlet and reducer that draws the deep column down cleanly to the last working gallons.

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-47618
Nominal Capacity	6502 Gallons
Footprint (Diameter)	102"
Overall Height	196"
Empty Weight	1407 lb
Material	Polyethylene (HDPE)
Color	Natural White
Rated Specific Gravity	1.5
Certifications	FDA Approved
Warranty	3 Year
Shipping	OVS

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 6502 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is built for scale that changes the math. At 102 inches in diameter and 196 inches tall — over sixteen feet — it stores its volume as a deep vertical column, the efficient shape when a large site has the height but wants to limit footprint. This is a primary bulk vessel for a fertilizer terminal, a large agricultural operation, or an industrial process that holds chemical by the tens of thousands of pounds.

Rated to 1.5 specific gravity, the tank carries solutions up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. A full 6,502-gallon charge at that density reaches roughly 82,677 pounds — better than forty tons — on a 1,337-pound shell. The deep column means the lower wall and the foundation carry enormous hydrostatic and dead loads, so both must be engineered, not estimated. Norwesco molds the tank as one seamless piece; on a sixteen-foot column there is no weld seam anywhere to become a stress riser.

The outlet is configured for a deep tank. A 3-inch NPT outlet with a 2-inch reducer and a 3-inch siphon tube draws solution from the bottom of the column, pulling the charge down cleanly and giving you a high-flow dispensing connection that can also be reduced to match smaller downstream piping. A 16-inch lid sixteen feet up provides access for filling and instrumentation, and the translucent white wall lets an operator gauge a level that no one is going to check by eye over the top.

This is large-scale bulk chemical infrastructure within its 1.5 specific-gravity envelope — not a potable-water tank — backed by Norwesco's 3-year warranty against manufacturing defects.

Technical Drawing

Official Norwesco technical drawing — 6502 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank

Key Features and Specifications

6,502-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
196" tall x 102" diameter — compact vertical footprint
1337 lbs empty, approximately 82,677 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 sixteen-foot, forty-ton tank is a civil and rigging project. Foundation, anchoring, and crane access drive the schedule.

Engineered Foundation and Anchoring

This tank demands a reinforced concrete foundation engineered for the full loaded weight of roughly 82,677 pounds, level across the 102-inch footprint. A tall column also catches wind and carries a high center of gravity, so anchoring against overturning — when empty as well as full — must be designed into the foundation. Do not improvise any part of this; have a professional engineer specify the pad and tie-downs for the filled mass and the site's wind loads. Confirm the pad is level within an inch across the diameter before filling.

Plumbing the 3-Inch Siphon Outlet

Plumb the 3-inch siphon outlet to your transfer or dispensing system, using the 2-inch reducer where it meets smaller piping. The siphon draws from the bottom of the deep column, so arrange the external piping to hold prime and shed air. Generous thermal-expansion allowance is essential — a sixteen-foot column of solution moves its fittings substantially with temperature — and the tank must be isolated from rigid bulk-pipe loads with flexible or expansion-jointed connections.

Access, Venting, and Containment

Plan safe elevated access to the 16-inch lid sixteen feet up for filling and instrumentation. Size the vent for high-rate bulk fill and draw and match it to the chemistry; a deep tank dispensed fast through an undersized vent will pull vacuum on the lower wall. Engineer secondary containment for the full volume — over six thousand gallons of chemical requires it. This is professional, equipment-assisted installation.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

At forty tons and sixteen feet, maintenance is a formal program centered on the foundation, the high-stress lower wall, anchoring, and the siphon draw.

Scheduled Inspection

Foundation and anchoring: Inspect the pad for settling and cracking and verify anchoring hardware is sound and tight. A tall tank that shifts or lifts at the base is the most dangerous failure mode it has.
Lower-wall survey: The bottom of a sixteen-foot column carries the highest hydrostatic load of any tank in the range — survey it closely for bulging, crazing, or stress whitening. Any deformation low on this tank is urgent.
Siphon and outlet: Confirm the 3-inch siphon draws cleanly from the bottom and that the outlet, reducer, and valve are leak-free and chemically intact.
Vent and access: Verify the vent is clear and adequately sized, and that elevated access to the lid remains safe.

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Decontamination Between Products

Fully decontaminate the tank, siphon, outlet, and piping to the chemical manufacturer's procedure before changing chemistries. Over six thousand gallons holds a large residual volume, and cross-contamination at this scale is a major loss. This is bulk infrastructure and is never converted to potable service.

Long-Term Care

Out of direct sun and within its ratings, the seamless shell delivers many years of service. The long-term watch items are the foundation under sustained forty-ton load, the anchoring against wind, and the deep lower-wall hydrostatic zone. A rigorous, documented inspection program is non-negotiable for a vessel of this size and value.

Alternatives and Comparisons

The 6502 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank competes at the bulk-infrastructure tier, where the questions are footprint, draw method, and whether you process or store.

Tall vertical vs. broad bulk tank: This deep 196-inch column minimizes footprint and uses site height efficiently, but it raises the center of gravity and demands engineered anchoring and a high-load foundation. A broader, shorter bulk tank of similar volume is more stable and easier to access but eats far more ground. Choose the tall column where land is the constraint and the foundation can be engineered for it.

Siphon vertical vs. cone-bottom: The 3-inch siphon outlet lets this vertical draw its deep charge down cleanly for storage and dispensing without a cone's height and stand. If your operation batch-mixes and needs a complete drain every cycle, a bulk cone-bottom tank is the right tool; for high-volume holding and dispensing, the siphon vertical is the standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will the 6502 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank last?

Within its ratings, on an engineered and anchored foundation, and out of direct sun, the seamless shell delivers many years of bulk service. At this scale the life-limiting risks are structural — foundation settling under forty tons, anchoring against wind on a sixteen-foot column — and chemical attack on the high-load lower wall. A formal, documented inspection program covering the pad, anchors, lower wall, and siphon outlet is what keeps a tank this large safely in service for the long term.

What chemicals can I store in this tank?

This is large-scale bulk chemical infrastructure rated to 1.5 specific gravity, built to hold and dispense agricultural and industrial solutions up to 12.5 pounds per gallon — liquid fertilizers, water-based process chemistries, and similar within that density. It is not for drinking water and never for fuels, solvents, or flammables. At this volume an incompatible chemistry is a costly mistake, so verify every product against a polyethylene compatibility chart before it goes in.

What kind of foundation does a 6502-gallon tank need?

A foundation engineered by a professional. A full 6,502-gallon charge at 1.5 specific gravity is roughly 82,677 pounds — over forty tons — concentrated through a deep column. This requires a reinforced concrete pad designed for that dead load, level within an inch across the footprint, plus anchoring against wind overturning on a sixteen-foot tank. This is firmly an engineered-foundation installation, never anything improvised.

Does this tank come with a warranty?

Yes — Norwesco's 3-year warranty covers material and workmanship defects in the shell when used within its ratings, including molding flaws across a vessel this size. It does not cover chemical attack from an incompatible product, damage from a settling or inadequate foundation, failure of improper anchoring, or improper installation. Retain the foundation and anchoring engineering documentation with your invoice; at this scale it is essential for any claim.

Can I install this tank underground?

No. A sixteen-foot bulk vertical is engineered for above-ground service; its wall is not built to resist soil and groundwater pressure, and burying a tank this large invites collapse. Burial voids the warranty. For below-grade bulk storage, use a purpose-built underground tank engineered with ribbed, reinforced walls for those loads.

Buying Considerations

Ordering the 6502 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is a capital-infrastructure project. First, the foundation: engage a professional engineer to design a reinforced concrete pad for the roughly 82,677-pound full load and anchoring against wind on a sixteen-foot column, completed before the tank ships. Second, the system: plan the 3-inch siphon plumbing with its 2-inch reducer, generous thermal-expansion allowance, a vent sized for high-rate fill and draw, and containment for the full volume. Third, the freight and rigging: at 1,337 pounds empty and over sixteen feet tall, it moves on a dedicated oversized carrier and requires crane and clear access to offload and stand — contact us to coordinate delivery and confirm your site can receive and erect it.