The Chem-Tainer 270 gallon open top batch storage tank (SKU R244854A) is a rectangular polyethylene vessel built for batching, mixing, and bulk water staging where you need top access to add, monitor, or dip the contents. It measures 54 inches tall on a compact 24 by 48 inch footprint, and that 24-inch width is the qualifying dimension if you are screening for tight aisles, narrow process bays, or doorway clearance: it slides along a wall while still holding a full 270 gallons. The natural white polyethylene construction is a general-purpose water-service color, and this is a rectangular open top tank, not a sealed or pressurized vessel.
Will it work for your application?
The standout spec here is the 2.0 specific gravity rating. A full water load is 2,252 pounds of contents, but the wall is engineered to safely carry contents weighing up to 4,504 pounds at that same 270-gallon volume, which means this tank is rated for heavier-than-water contents up to 2.0 specific gravity at full volume. That is unusual for an open top water tank and gives you real margin for denser batches, brines, or mixed slurries staged as water-class service. Use that rating to your advantage, but stay within it. If you are unsure how 270 gallons maps to your batch cycle and refill schedule, the Tank Sizing Calculator and the Tank Sizing Guide will help you confirm the volume and footprint before you commit. See the technical drawing on this page for exact wall and rim detail.
Mounting and support
With 2,252 pounds of water plus the tank's own structure bearing on a 24 by 48 inch footprint, the load per square foot is concentrated, so this rectangular open top tank wants a flat, fully supported, level base across its entire bottom. A continuous concrete pad sized for the loaded weight is the right foundation for above-ground service. For the engineering behind pad thickness and the loaded-weight math, read Concrete Pad Sizing for Above-Ground Polyethylene Tanks. If you are aggregating grey water, rainwater, or HVAC condensate into a quality-banded reuse train, the topology guide on industrial water reuse tank topology covers how an open top batch tank fits into a staged system.
The mistake to avoid
The common error with an open tank is treating it like a closed storage tank. This unit ships with no pre-installed bulkhead fittings or gaskets, no sealed lid, and no pressure rating, so do not plumb it as a pressurized vessel or assume it is sealed against contamination, rain, or evaporation. You specify and install your own bulkhead fittings, with appropriate gaskets, sized to your process and placed where the rectangular wall geometry supports them. Because there is no listed potable or process certification and no stated application value, confirm that polyethylene at 2.0 specific gravity suits your specific contents before filling. And do not overfill past the rated volume: the 2.0 SG rating protects you on contents weight, not on freeboard, so leave room for agitation and splash.
This open top rectangular tank ships LTL freight from the single Chem-Tainer plant in West Babylon, NY, with the cost quoted live to your ZIP code, so distance-sensitive buyers in the South and West should price the haul before committing. Get an exact number with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote the freight and confirm fit for your batch process.
