The Chem-Tainer 5000 Gallon HDPE Vertical Liquid Storage Tank is a full-size white polyethylene vertical tank built for bulk liquid storage where you need real volume without a steel footprint. It holds 5,000 gallons, stands 152 inches tall on a 102 x 102 inch square footprint, and is molded from polyethylene with an FDA-approved resin. Filled with water it carries roughly 41,700 pounds, so this is a foundation-and-forklift install, not a tank you set on bare ground.
Will this vertical storage tank work for your liquid?
This 5000 gallon vertical tank is rated to a specific gravity of 1.9, which is a high rating for an HDPE storage tank and gives you genuine headroom over plain water at 1.0. Full of water the contents weigh about 41,700 pounds; at the tank's maximum rated specific gravity the contents weight climbs to roughly 79,230 pounds. That 1.9 ceiling is the reason to choose this SKU over a standard 1.0 to 1.5 water tank: it carries denser-than-water liquids and heavier ag or process solutions that a lighter-rated tank would be under-spec'd to hold. The white wall lets you read liquid level through the shell and slows algae growth compared to translucent tanks. At 152 inches tall, confirm overhead clearance and fill-line reach before delivery, and use the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide to match this 5000 gallon capacity to your draw rate and refill schedule.
Fittings and foundation
Inlet, outlet, overflow, and vent fittings on this tank are configured per order, so the thread sizes and gasket materials are not fixed in this listing — call 866-418-1777 to confirm your fitting layout, thread size, and gasket material before you commit. Review the technical drawing on this page for fitting locations and tank dimensions, then check those positions against your plumbing run before you pour. At a 102 x 102 inch footprint (about 72 square feet) and over 20 tons full of water, this tank needs a level, fully-supporting pad — a reinforced concrete slab or an engineered ring is standard for a vertical tank this size. Run the footprint and the maximum contents weight through the Tank Sizing Calculator to get a bearing-pressure figure for your slab or ring spec rather than guessing.
The mistake to avoid
The common error on a tank this large is underbuilding the foundation. The 1.9 specific gravity rating is a structural ceiling, not a license to set the tank on gravel or uneven dirt — an HDPE wall is only as good as what it sits on, and a tank holding 20-plus tons amplifies any high spot or settling into a stress crack. Size your base to the full water weight of about 41,700 pounds at minimum, and to the maximum contents weight of roughly 79,230 pounds if you ever run anything denser than water. It also helps to understand where polyethylene tanks actually fail: the HDPE tank wall thickness guide explains why the vapor-saturated headspace, not the liquid side, is where premature cracks start. For a wider look at 5,000-gallon vertical sizing decisions, the 5,000 gallon vertical storage tank sizing reference is a useful general read, and if you are building a rural fire-water reservoir the NFPA 22 fire-reservoir design guide covers reserve sizing and freeze protection.
This 5000 gallon vertical HDPE tank ships LTL freight from the nearest Chem-Tainer plant — Chowchilla, CA for West-Coast deliveries or Hummelstown, PA for the East — so the closer plant means a shorter lane and lower freight to your address. Get your number on the Freight Cost Estimator, quoted live to your ZIP, or call 866-418-1777 to confirm fittings, lead time, and the best-shipping plant for your delivery.
