The Chem-Tainer 1700 Gallon Plastic Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is a 78-inch-tall polyethylene vertical tank on an 86 x 86 inch round footprint, holding 1,700 gallons of water or other liquids in natural white. This is the heavy-duty 1.9 specific gravity configuration (the IA build), not the standard 1.5-SG water tank, so the shell carries a higher density ceiling that widens the range of heavier-than-water liquids it can hold without exceeding its design weight. If you are sizing a bulk water, fire-reserve, or process storage tank and want headroom in the contents you can store, this is the tank that question leads to. It also ships from our Hummelstown, PA plant, a real freight advantage for Northeast and East-Coast sites on a tank this heavy.
Will it work for your storage job?
Capacity is 1,700 gallons in a vertical storage tank format measuring 78 inches high and 86 inches across the base. Filled with water, the contents weigh 14,178 pounds, so the pad and any structure underneath must carry that load plus the empty tank. The 1.9 specific gravity rating means the shell is engineered to a maximum rated contents weight of 26,938 pounds, which is what allows storage of liquids denser than water up to that ceiling. As a 1,700-gallon vertical storage tank, it is also a credible candidate for an NFPA-22 private fire-water reserve; if that is your application, our fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA-22 sizing discipline and freeze protection. To confirm the tank suits your liquid and site before you order, run the numbers through the Tank Sizing Calculator and review the Tank Sizing Guide. The full geometry, fitting locations, and dimensions are on the technical drawing on this page.
The mistake to avoid
The number that matters here is specific gravity. This tank is rated to 1.9, but rating is not the same as filling to the very top with the heaviest liquid you can find. Always size by the actual weight of YOUR liquid against the 26,938-pound maximum rated contents figure, not by gallons alone. A 1,700-gallon tank brimmed with a dense liquid can approach or exceed its weight ceiling well before it looks full. Confirm the specific gravity of your stored liquid, multiply it out, and stay under the rated maximum. The drawing and the rating on this page give you the inputs to do that correctly. Fitting placement should be confirmed against the technical drawing on this page as well; call 866-418-1777 to confirm the exact outlet and bulkhead configuration before you order.
Sizing the foundation
An 86 x 86 inch footprint loaded to roughly 14,000 pounds of water or more demands a level, properly engineered pad. A vertical tank that is out of level concentrates stress on the bottom knuckle and can shorten its service life. For pad design under an above-ground polyethylene tank of this size, our guide on concrete pad sizing using the ACI 360R-10 framework walks through the load math. If you are comparing this 1700-gallon tank against the next size up, the Snyder vs Norwesco vs Chem-Tainer 2000 gallon comparison and the 1700 Gallon Vertical Liquid Storage Tank buyer's guide cover the trade-offs in detail.
This tank ships LTL freight from the Hummelstown, PA plant, quoted live to your ZIP code. Get a freight quote in seconds with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call us at 866-418-1777 and we will quote it for you and answer any fit questions before you buy.
