850 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank: Complete Buyer's Guide
850-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 850 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is a mid-capacity chemical and fertilizer tank for operations that need more than a few hundred gallons but not the bulk of a multi-thousand-gallon vessel. Standing nearly ten feet tall on a 48-inch base, it banks 850 gallons in a slim, space-efficient column that slots neatly into a chemical pad or a row of similar tanks.
It is molded as one continuous piece of virgin linear polyethylene rated to 1.5 specific gravity, engineered for the dense liquids of agriculture and industry up to 12.5 pounds per gallon. The translucent white wall doubles as a ground-level sight gauge, readable without opening up, while reflecting sun to keep the chemical cooler.
Empty, the tank weighs 175 pounds; filled with a 1.5-SG liquid it puts roughly 10,808 pounds onto its compact 12.6-square-foot footprint — a substantial load under a slim base, which makes a properly engineered foundation important. A factory 2-inch NPT outlet manages discharge and a 16-inch lid opens the top. With the inlet left off, you drill and mount a bulkhead at your plumbing's chosen point.
Key Features and Specifications
- 850-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
- 118" tall x 48" diameter — compact vertical footprint
- 175 lbs empty, approximately 10,808 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 — allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Lift gate and residential delivery available at additional cost
Installation and Setup Guide
At 118 inches tall on a 48-inch base, the 850-gallon tank is a tall, slim column, and that proportion sets the install priorities. A full 1.5-SG load of about 10,808 pounds bears down through just 12.6 square feet, so ground pressure is meaningful and the tank's near-ten-foot height makes wind loading and a dead-level base real concerns rather than nice-to-haves.
Site Preparation
Plan an engineered foundation for the concentrated load. A reinforced concrete slab, sized past the 48-inch base and screeded flat to a quarter inch, is the right approach; on a tall column even a small base tilt swings the top out of plumb and drives the 10,808-pound load onto one edge. Have a structural professional confirm the slab for your soil rather than setting a tall tank on compacted gravel.
Placement and Connections
Take the discharge off the factory 2-inch outlet at the foot of a nearly ten-foot liquid column, where head pressure runs high, and isolate it with a chemically compatible flexible coupling so the column's movement never loads the bulkhead. The fill connection is yours to place — a compatible bulkhead drilled at the height you need. Use chemical-rated plumbing and hand-tighten poly threads a quarter turn past snug.
Venting
A tall chemical column breathes hard, with the pressure swing concentrating near the top. The 16-inch lid's relief path must stay open; for volatile products, fit a pressure/vacuum relief vent rated to that chemical. On a slim, tall tank a blocked vent can dimple or buckle the upper wall fast during a hard draw-down, so make the vent the first check and match its rating to the stored liquid.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
An 850-gallon chemical tank is serviced for chemical duty and structural load, not for potable use, and its translucent wall makes monitoring straightforward from the ground. The routine below guards the vessel, its foundation, and safe operation around a slim, fairly heavy column.
Quarterly Inspection Checklist
- Column read: Scan the full height through the translucent wall for bulging, whitening, or any lean that flags a settled base.
- Outlet and bulkhead check: Inspect the 2-inch outlet and your installed inlet for chemical weeping, confirming both remain compatible with the stored liquid.
- Foundation audit: Verify the slab under the small 12.6-square-foot footprint is level and uncracked, since a slim tank punishes settlement more than a wide one.
- Vent verification: Ensure the pressure/vacuum relief or vent is unobstructed and matched to the stored chemical.
Cleaning
On each product switch, clean by decontamination per the chemical maker's instructions instead of relying on a simple rinse. The 2-inch outlet drains the bulk; a tall column calls for planned, safe access under confined-space and chemical-handling protocols for any interior work. This is a chemical-storage tank and must not be used for potable water without full, documented decontamination.
UV and Weather Protection
The translucent white wall sheds sunlight to keep the chemical cooler and resists UV through the resin; on a tall outdoor column, scan the sunny height each year for chalking. The reflectivity also moderates the thermal cycling a slim wall undergoes as it heats and cools quickly through the day.
Alternatives and Comparisons
At 850 gallons this tank fills the gap between the few-hundred-gallon verticals and the bulk multi-thousand-gallon tanks. If you need less, the 300- to 500-gallon verticals ease the foundation; if you need more, the 1100-gallon and larger tanks step capacity up. Choose by the volume of chemical you actually cycle and the footprint your pad allows.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the 850 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank last?
On an engineered pad, within its 1.5 SG and temperature limits, and serviced for the chemicals it holds, this 850-gallon tank reliably passes fifteen years. The seamless wall carries no weld to give way; a base that settles and tilts the column, or an incompatible chemical, ends a slim tank early rather than the polyethylene.
What chemicals can I store in this tank?
Its 1.5 SG rating suits agricultural chemicals, liquid fertilizers, and most industrial solutions up to 12.5 pounds per gallon, but check each chemical against a polyethylene compatibility chart beforehand. Do not put fuels, solvents, or flammables in it, and regard it as a chemical vessel, never a water tank.
What kind of foundation does a 850-gallon tank need?
A concentrated load of roughly 10,808 pounds under a slim 48-inch base calls for an engineered reinforced concrete slab, sized past the base and held flat to a quarter inch, specified by a structural professional for your soil. A tall tank on an uneven pad leans, so flatness here is a safety matter.
Does this tank come with a warranty?
Yes — Norwesco's 3-year warranty addresses manufacturing defects in normal use: factory faults, not overloading beyond 1.5 SG, a weak foundation, chemical attack, or impact. Retain your receipt and photographs of the finished install.
Can I install this tank underground?
No. It is an above-ground vessel whose flat wall cannot take soil pressure; burial would collapse it and void the warranty. For below-grade work, only a ribbed underground tank built for the load will do.
Buying Considerations
Settle three items: have a structural professional design the slab for the concentrated 10,808-pound load under the 48-inch base, confirm the footprint plus the overhead clearance a near-ten-foot tank needs, and arrange LTL freight with offload equipment for a tall tank that must be set carefully upright.
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