The Norwesco 1200 Gallon Underground Water Storage Cistern Tank is a buried-service polyethylene cistern built for sites that need a serious water reserve without surrendering yard space above grade. At 1,200 gallons it carries a 60 in width by 102 in length footprint and stands 63 in tall, so the excavation and bedding plan are the first things to get right. Norwesco molds this cistern in white polyethylene, and the spec sheet on this page lists it at a 1.9 specific gravity rating, which is the number that lets the buried shell carry contents heavier than plain water. If you have been searching for a Norwesco cistern or underground water storage tank that handles real reserve volume below grade, this is that tank.
Will it work for your install?
For a full water fill, plan around 10,008 lb of water weight; the structure is rated to a maximum contents weight of 19,015 lb, which is where the 1.9 specific gravity rating comes from. Those two numbers matter most underground, because the loaded mass plus backfill and any high-water-table buoyancy all act on the same shell. Rated to 1.9 SG and 19,015 lb of contents, this water cistern carries more burial-load headroom than a water-only tank needs, so the shell is rarely the limiting factor on a denser fill. Confirm the dimensions against the technical drawing on this page before you dig:
Dig envelope: 60 in W x 102 in L footprint, 63 in tall plus required cover depth; 10,008 lb full of water, 19,015 lb max contents.
Fitting and lid configuration is shown on the technical drawing on this page; confirm the molded-in connections match your inlet and outlet plan before you excavate. This is a cistern for buried water storage, rainwater harvesting reserve, and remote-site water storage where an above-ground tank would freeze or eat usable ground. If you are still deciding capacity, run the numbers through our Tank Sizing Calculator or read the Tank Sizing Guide, and check delivered freight early with the Freight Cost Estimator before you commit to an excavation size.
Buying it right underground
The mistake to avoid on a cistern this size is treating it like an above-ground tank. Underground tanks live or die by the install: a proper bedding base, even backfill, and attention to groundwater are not optional, and a tank set on uneven fill or backfilled unevenly can deform under load. Before you put it into service, a controlled water-fill acceptance test catches settlement and fitting leaks while they are still cheap to fix. Our hydrostatic test methodology guide walks the water-fill discipline, settlement monitoring, and hold-time math for a new-install acceptance. If this cistern is part of a rural fire-water reserve, the fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing and freeze protection for cold-climate buried service, and for greywater or rainwater aggregation see the water reuse tank topology guide.
Freight on a tank this size
This is a large tank and ships LTL freight, quoted live to your ZIP. Norwesco molds this cistern at multiple plants, so we route from whichever of eight locations is closest to your ZIP and you are not paying cross-country LTL on a 60 x 102 in tank: Griffin, GA; Hanford, CA; Lancaster, OH; Owego, NY; Shawnee, OK; St. Bonifacius, MN; Tooele, UT; or Washougal, WA. Shipping from the closest plant keeps freight cost and transit time down. Get a real number to your delivery ZIP with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will quote the underground cistern, confirm dimensions against the technical drawing, and help you spec the bedding and backfill for your site.
