The Chem-Tainer 70 Gallon Plastic Portable Utility Tank in black is a low, flat-bottom polyethylene tank built to haul water and other compatible liquids around a site, then sit stable when full. It measures 42 inches long by 26 inches wide by 18 inches tall, giving it a 26.0 x 42.0 inch footprint that drops into a truck bed, rides a trailer deck, or tucks against a wall in a utility room. At 70 gallons, a full load of plain water weighs about 584 pounds, so whatever it bears on has to carry that without flexing. The black wall blocks light, which slows algae growth in stored water compared with translucent tanks, and the 18-inch height keeps the center of gravity low.
Will it work for your job?
Most buyers land here searching for a utility tank for water hauling, and that is exactly what this is: a flat-bottom utility tank, with "portable" describing the form factor rather than a license to transport it any way you like. What sets this one apart is the specific gravity rating of 1.5, where most water and utility tanks are built to 1.0-1.2. That 1.5 wall is engineered to hold liquids up to one and a half times the density of water, so it handles heavier-than-water service such as mild brines and some agricultural solutions that a standard 1.0-rated water tank should not. Full of plain water the contents weigh roughly 584 pounds; pushed to the 1.5 rating, the tank is built to carry up to about 876 pounds of denser liquid. Verify any specific chemical against the manufacturer's chemical-resistance chart before you commit it to long-term service. If you are unsure this capacity matches your draw rate or refill cycle, run the numbers through our Tank Sizing Calculator or read the Tank Sizing Guide first.
Specs, fittings, and mounting
Fitting and bulkhead details are not specified here, so confirm outlet location, port size, and gasket material against the technical drawing on this page before you buy any plumbing, and match the gasket elastomer to your liquid rather than assuming a default. The flat bottom is meant to bear on a continuous, level surface that supports the entire footprint. At the 876-pound max-contents load spread across the 26 x 42 inch base, that works out to roughly 0.8 pounds per square inch, a figure you can check a trailer deck or pad rating against directly instead of guessing. For a permanent above-ground install on a pad, our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks walks through the ACI framework; for farm fleet use, the breakdown of portable utility tanks and the 49 CFR 173.5 agricultural exemption covers DOT classification for agricultural hauling.
The mistake to avoid
The common error with a flat-bottom utility tank is treating "portable" as "secure it however." Because the load bears across the whole base, the tank has to ride on a flat, fully supported deck and be strapped down so it cannot shift; a half-full tank that slides or sloshes on a partial support can stress the wall. Read the 1.5 specific gravity rating as a density limit for what goes inside, not a license to overfill by weight beyond the roughly 876-pound max-contents figure. And while the black color slows algae, this is sold as a general utility tank for water and compatible liquids, so confirm any specific liquid on the manufacturer's resistance chart before long-term storage.
This tank ships LTL freight, quoted live to your ZIP from the nearest stocking plant in Marked Tree, AR or Merced, CA. Buyers west of the Rockies will typically draw from Merced and East and Central buyers from Marked Tree, which can mean very different LTL numbers, so run your ZIP through our Freight Cost Estimator to see which origin applies and get a real number before you order, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it for you. Planning a larger water reserve? Our guide on fire-water reservoir tank design for rural and remote sites covers NFPA 22 sizing and freeze protection for cold-climate service.
