The Chem-Tainer 100 gallon open top batch storage tank is a 42-inch-tall cylinder on a compact 28-inch round footprint, molded in natural white polyethylene for above-ground water and batch-storage duty. Open top means you load, mix, and inspect from above without removing a lid, and the natural white wall lets you read your fill level at a glance. This is the tank people search for when they want an honest 100 gallon open top tank that fits a tight pad and stays easy to clean between batches.
Will it work for your job?
The dimensions are 42 in high by 28 in wide by 28 in across, so it drops onto a flat, level pad measuring 28.0 x 28.0 inches. Filled with plain water at full capacity the tank carries roughly 834 lb, and the wall is structurally rated to hold contents weighing up to 1,585 lb. That ceiling comes from the tank's specific gravity rating of 1.9, which describes how heavy a liquid the wall can carry, not what gets loaded into it. For straight water and batch water storage that gives you generous structural headroom over the 834 lb a full tank of water actually weighs. Use the Tank Sizing Calculator and the Tank Sizing Guide to confirm 100 gallons is the working volume you need, and remember the open top design leaves headspace and freeboard to you rather than to a sealed fitting.
Set it on the right pad
An above-ground polyethylene tank wants continuous, uniform support under the full 28-inch round base, which carries about 834 lb when the tank holds 100 gallons of water. A flat concrete pad or a smooth, compacted surface keeps that load even and the tank stable when full. For the engineering behind it, see our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks. Because the top is open, plan a cover or screen if the tank lives outdoors or near foot traffic, and keep the dimensioned technical drawing on this page handy when you lay out the footprint. If you are aggregating reuse water, our guide on industrial water reuse tank topology covers how grey-water, rainwater, and condensate streams are banded and staged.
The mistake to avoid
The error buyers make on an open top batch tank is treating the 1.9 specific gravity rating as a fill ceiling for volume rather than weight. The rating tells you how heavy a liquid the wall can structurally carry, capped at 1,585 lb of contents, and the open top tells you nothing about evaporation or contamination is being controlled for you. Confirm your finished load stays at or under that 1,585 lb contents rating, then size and site the tank for the way it will really be loaded and emptied. For high-demand standby duty such as rural fire-water reserve, our guide on fire-water reservoir tank design walks through sizing discipline and freeze protection. Always check the technical drawing on this page against your space before ordering.
This tank ships LTL, and because it is stocked at four plants, we route it from the ship point nearest you among Delano, MN, Hanford, CA, Hummelstown, PA, and West Babylon, NY, so your 100 gallon open top tank travels the shortest practical lane rather than crossing the country. Get a live freight number to your ZIP with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it and confirm fit for your application.
