The Bushman 1150 Gallon Black Rainwater Collection Tank is a 1,150-gallon polyethylene rainwater tank built for above-ground rainwater harvesting and bulk water storage. It stands 90 inches tall on a 63 x 63 inch footprint, so confirm three dimensions before it ships: the 90-inch height against any doorways, gates, or canopy you have to clear during delivery and placement, and the 63-inch width against your pad and access route. The black, opaque body blocks sunlight to suppress algae growth in stored rainwater, which is a real advantage over a translucent or lighter-colored tank. With a specific gravity rating of 1.0, it is sized for water and water-equivalent contents only.
Will it work for your site?
Filled to capacity, this tank carries 9,591 pounds of water, and its maximum rated contents weight is the same 9,591 pounds. That full-water figure is the number that drives your pad design and your soil-bearing check, so size the foundation to it rather than to the empty tank weight. The technical drawing on this page calls out the tank's fittings. Three of them are flat bossed pads sized 11" x 10", 8" x 11", and 8" x 20-1/4" that the installer locates and drills to land their own bulkheads where the plumbing run needs them. The supplied penetrations are a 3-inch outlet/overflow kit and a 1-inch bulkhead fitting molded in polypropylene with an EPDM seal. Because that seal is EPDM and the fitting body is polypropylene, confirm any pipe, sealant, or downstream component you attach is compatible with both before you tighten down. If you are still deciding on capacity, our Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide walk through demand and catchment math for a black water tank like this one.
Rainwater harvesting done right
For rainwater collection, much of the work happens upstream of the tank. A first-flush diverter keeps the dirtiest early roof runoff out of storage, and our guide on first-flush diverter sizing per the Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting, 3rd Edition covers how to size that stage for this Bushman tank. The opaque black body helps on the warm-climate side by holding back algae; for the cold-climate side, our fire-water reservoir design and NFPA 22 sizing guide covers reserve volume and freeze protection if this storage feeds a rural fire-protection setup. Larger reuse programs that aggregate grey water, rainwater, and HVAC condensate can plan their storage train with our industrial water reuse tank topology guide.
Foundation and the mistake to avoid
The most common mistake on a tank this size is setting it on an undersized or unlevel base. A poly tank wants full, continuous support across its 63 x 63 inch footprint; a partial or rocking bearing surface concentrates stress on the bottom chime and shortens tank life. Our concrete pad sizing guide built on the ACI 360R-10 framework shows how to size and detail a slab for the full 9,591-pound load. The other boundary to respect: this tank is rated to specific gravity 1.0, so it is purpose-built for water and rainwater, not heavier chemical solutions. If you need to store something denser than water, call us first rather than assuming a heavier-rated version of this tank exists.
This tank ships LTL freight from the Bushman plant in Fairfield, TX, with freight quoted live to your ZIP code. Get a freight estimate with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it and answer any fit questions before you order.
