The Bushman 500-gallon vertical water storage tank in black gives you 500 gallons of water storage in a tight 48-inch footprint. At 71 inches tall and 48 inches in diameter, it fits through standard gate openings and tucks against a wall or under an eave for rainwater, well water, hauled water, or fire-reserve duty. The tank is molded from polyethylene and carries a 1.0 specific gravity rating, which is exactly what you want for water and other contents at or below the weight of water.
Will it hold up for water storage?
A full tank weighs about 4,170 pounds of water on the pad, and that 4,170-pound figure is also the maximum rated contents weight, so this tank is built around water at 1.0 specific gravity. Plan your base accordingly: a level, continuous, load-bearing pad (compacted base or a poured slab) sized for the full 48-inch diameter footprint. The black exterior blocks light, which makes it a practical choice for outdoor water storage and vertical storage tank installs where the tank sits in the open. Note that fill and inspection access is at the top: on a 71-inch tank the 8-inch twist lid sits roughly six feet up, and a pad raises it further, so plan for ladder or platform access when you site it under an eave. Use our Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide to confirm this 500 gallon tank matches your draw-down and refill rate before you order.
Fittings and connections
The tank comes configured with three connection points: an 8-inch twist lid up top for fill and inspection access, a 1-inch spin-weld FNPT inlet for your supply line, and a bulkhead fitting for the outlet/drain side of your plumbing. Thread your supply to the FNPT (female national pipe thread) connection and seal it with PTFE tape or pipe dope rated for potable water service. The bulkhead seals against a gasket, so verify the bulkhead size and gasket seat against the technical drawing on this page before you order mating pipe. Check the exact fitting locations and heights on that drawing as well before you trench supply or distribution lines, since fitting elevation drives your gravity head and your overflow routing.
The mistake to avoid
The most common error on a vertical water tank this size is treating the contents like they weigh the same as water when they don't. This tank is rated to 1.0 specific gravity, so it is sized for fresh water and similar light liquids only. If your liquid is heavier than water, you need a tank built for that higher specific gravity, not this one: use the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide above to find a higher-SG-rated vertical tank, or call 866-418-1777 and we will match you to a heavier-rated tank. For straight water storage, well water, hauled water, or rainwater capture, the 1.0 rating is the correct match.
This Bushman 500 gallon water storage tank ships LTL freight from the Fairfield, Texas plant, quoted live to your ZIP. Texas and South-Central buyers are close to that plant, so the short LTL lane usually works in your favor on the quote: get a real number for your delivery address with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it by phone. Not sure this is the right size? The vertical vs. horizontal water-storage tank tradeoffs guide and our Bushman rainwater harvesting and first-flush diverter sizing guide will help you lock in the right configuration before freight, and if you are sizing for fire-reserve duty, the fire-water reservoir tank design and NFPA 22 sizing guide covers the reserve calculations.
