The Bushman 5000 Gallon Dark Brown Rainwater Collection Tank is a polyethylene above-ground tank built to anchor a serious rainwater harvesting system. At 5,000 gallons it holds enough water to carry a homestead, ranch, or rural property through dry stretches, and the dark brown color helps it sit quietly against a tree line or barn wall. At 92 inches (under 8 feet) tall on a 140 x 140 inch base, this is a low-profile, wide tank, roughly 12 feet square, that is easier to site under eaves and low overhangs than a tall vertical of the same capacity.
Will it work for your site
This is a 1.0 specific gravity tank, rated for water and water-density liquids only. It is not rated for heavier-than-water chemicals or slurries. Full of water it carries a maximum rated contents weight of 41,700 pounds at SG 1.0, and that is the number that matters for foundation design far more than the empty shell weight. Do not fill it with a denser liquid. A tank this size needs a flat, fully supported, engineered base across the entire 140.0 x 140.0 inch footprint. For sizing the tank to your roof catchment and rainfall, run the numbers through our Tank Sizing Calculator and read the Tank Sizing Guide before you commit to a footprint.
Fittings and connections
Per the technical drawing on this page, the tank is configured with three flat fitting pads (15" x 15", 13" x 15", and 14" x 25-3/4") plus an outlet and overflow kit (4 inch) and a 1 inch bulkhead fitting. Those flat pads are unobstructed mounting surfaces and the correct place to add bulkhead penetrations, so a gasket seats flat and seals rather than fighting a curved wall. The included 1-inch bulkhead uses a PP body with an EPDM gasket, well suited to rainwater and water service. Note that the EPDM gasket, not the polyethylene shell, sets the chemical-compatibility limit; if you ever repurpose the tank, confirm gasket compatibility before changing service and match any new penetration to a properly gasketed bulkhead. Confirm the as-shipped fitting layout against the technical drawing so your inlet, outlet, and overflow routing match your gutter and distribution plan. For first-flush diverter sizing and a complete harvesting layout, see our guide on Bushman rainwater harvesting tanks and first-flush diverter sizing per the Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting.
Foundation and design support
With 41,700 pounds of water bearing down on the pad, get the base right. Our guide to concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks walks through the ACI 360R-10 framework so the slab carries the load without cracking or settling. If this 5,000 gallon tank is part of a private fire-protection reserve, our write-up on fire-water reservoir tank design for rural and remote sites covers NFPA 22 sizing discipline and freeze protection. Capturing rain for irrigation, grey-water blending, or HVAC condensate? Our industrial water reuse tank topology guide maps quality-banded storage trains.
This Bushman 5000 gallon rainwater tank ships LTL freight from Fairfield, Texas, with the cost quoted live to your ZIP code. At roughly 12 feet square it exceeds a standard pallet and moves as an oversized LTL load, so a flatbed or specialized trailer and a clear, level drop site are required. Get an exact number from our Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777 and we will work out delivery and offload access for a tank of this size. A 41,700-pound-when-full tank needs a clear path and a level spot waiting, so let us help you plan the drop before it leaves the plant.
