The Chem-Tainer 70 Gallon Plastic Portable Utility Tank is a flat-bottom polyethylene tank sold for moving and storing water and other lower-density liquids where a compact, haulable footprint matters more than vertical height. At 18 inches tall on a 26-by-42-inch flat-bottom base, it drops into truck beds, trailer decks, equipment skids, and utility carts that taller cylindrical tanks won't fit, which is exactly why people search for it as a utility tank or portable water tank for fleet and field use.
Will this tank work for your job?
This is classified as a portable utility tank, sold for water and lower-density liquids. The numbers tell you what it can carry. Filled with water, the 70-gallon capacity puts about 584 pounds of contents on whatever sits under it (water runs 8.34 pounds per gallon). The maximum rated contents weight is 876 pounds, which is the same 70 gallons at the tank's 1.5 specific gravity rating. Read that ceiling correctly: at a full 70 gallons you can go up to a 1.5 SG liquid and hit 876 pounds, but you cannot keep 70 gallons AND add weight past that. If your liquid is denser than 1.5 SG, you have to reduce the fill volume to stay under 876 pounds. Treat the 1.5 specific gravity rating as a hard limit on liquid density, not a target. Any non-water liquid also has to be checked for chemical compatibility with polyethylene before you fill, which this tank's water/utility rating does not by itself certify. If you are not sure 70 gallons fits your duty cycle, the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide walk you through matching capacity to demand.
Footprint, weight, and placement
The 26.0 x 42.0 inch footprint and 18-inch profile are your planning numbers. Measure your bed, deck, or pad against those dimensions and the technical drawing on this page before you commit a mounting spot, and check the drawing for fitting and lid positions so your fill and draw points land where you can reach them. For deck or trailer rating, you need contents weight plus the empty tank weight; the tank's dry weight is not listed in these specs, so confirm it from the technical drawing or by calling us before you load a marginal deck. As a portable tank this is built to travel and to sit fully supported on a solid, level surface. If you do set it on the ground semi-permanently, a flat-bottom tank wants continuous, level support across the entire base, since loose gravel, an uneven slab edge, or a warped trailer floor concentrates load and works against the flat-bottom design. Our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks covers building a base that supports the full footprint, and for farm-fleet use the breakdown of portable utility tanks and the 49 CFR 173.5 agricultural exemption is worth reading before you haul.
The mistake to avoid
The most common error with a low, wide portable tank like this one is hauling it partially full without restraint. Liquid in a shallow tank slides freely when the vehicle starts, stops, and corners, and that moving mass can shift your load or stress the shell. Strap the tank down, keep it as full or as empty as the job allows rather than half-loaded in transit, and stay inside the 876-pound rated contents weight.
This Chem-Tainer utility tank ships LTL freight, quoted live to your ZIP from the nearest of its two production plants in Marked Tree, AR and Merced, CA. Because it can fulfill from either the Arkansas or California plant, your freight depends heavily on which is closer to you, so get an exact number with the Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote it for you. For broader water-storage planning, including reuse and reservoir work, see our guides on industrial water reuse tank topology and fire-water reservoir tank design for rural and remote sites.
