The Chem-Tainer 1150 gallon vertical liquid storage tank (SKU TC8657IC) is a polyethylene bulk storage tank that stands 57 inches tall on an 86 x 86 inch square base, holding 1,150 gallons. Note the proportions before you plan your site: this is a low, wide vertical tank - wider across the base than it is tall - so size your pad and clearance around a square 86 x 86 inch footprint, not a tall slim cylinder. It carries a 1.5 specific gravity rating, meaning the wall is built to support contents up to 50 percent denser than water. If you have been searching for a vertical storage tank in this capacity, this is a workhorse vertical tank sized for farm, fire-reserve, and industrial water storage.
Will it work for your site?
Plan around the loaded weight, not the dry tank. Filled with water, this tank carries roughly 9,591 pounds of contents - about 4.8 tons - and at the full 1.5 SG rating it is engineered to hold up to about 14,386 pounds, or 7.2 tons. That loaded mass dictates your foundation, so build the slab for the contents you will actually store: roughly 4.8 tons for water, up to 7.2 tons if you use the denser-liquid headroom. A tank this size needs a level, continuously supported pad rated for that filled weight, and poured concrete is the standard choice. Our concrete pad sizing guide walks through the ACI 360R-10 framework for above-ground poly tanks so the slab matches the load, and the square footprint means you should confirm pad and any containment curb give clearance on all four sides.
Why the 1.5 SG rating matters
That 1.5 specific gravity rating is a real buying reason, not just reassurance. This tank is rated to store liquids up to 50 percent denser than plain water, so the same unit covers denser-fluid duty that a 1.0 or 1.1 SG water-only tank cannot - the 14,386 pound max-contents figure is the spec that backs it up. For straight water service, that rating is margin in your favor. If 1,150 gallons is a number you landed on by guess, check it against real demand first: the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide help you match capacity to draw-down and refill cycles. For fire-water reserve, sizing is a code question - the fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing discipline and freeze protection for cold-climate service. If you are weighing brands at the larger end of the vertical line, our Snyder vs Norwesco vs Chem-Tainer comparison shows how the major vertical tanks stack up, and for grey-water, rainwater, or HVAC condensate aggregation the industrial water reuse topology guide shows where a vertical tank this size fits in a banded storage train.
The mistake to avoid
Do not undersize the foundation. The most common error on a tank this large is pouring a pad for the empty tank and forgetting that the contents alone run nearly five tons of water - or over seven tons if you are using the SG headroom. Build the slab for the filled weight, keep it dead level, and support the full square footprint; an unsupported edge or a high spot concentrates stress on the poly base and shortens the tank's life. For fitting placement, the inlet, outlet, and vent locations and sizes are shown on the technical drawing on this page - check it against your plumbing layout, and we confirm the final configuration at order so the tank arrives plumbed for your site.
This tank ships LTL by freight, quoted live to your ZIP from the nearest Chem-Tainer plant - Albertville, AL or Merced, CA. Those two split origins, one in the Southeast and one on the West Coast, mean shorter LTL lanes for much of the country, which is exactly why a real ZIP quote pays off. Get your number with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it and walk you through fittings, foundation, and lead time. See the technical drawing on this page for fitting locations and full dimensions before you order.
