The Norwesco 13000 Gallon Black Vertical Storage Tank is built for high-volume bulk water and liquid storage where one tank has to carry an entire site's reserve. It holds 13,000 gallons in a black polyethylene wall, stands 198 inches tall on a 144 x 144 inch footprint, and carries a 1.5 specific gravity rating - meaning the wall is engineered for liquids weighing up to 1.5 times the weight of water. For straight water service that rating leaves comfortable headroom; for heavier liquids it tells you the tank can take the load. If you are weighing this against other Norwesco vertical storage tank sizes, the deciding factors are footprint, fill weight, and the pad underneath.
Will it work for your site?
Full of water, this tank carries 108,420 pounds of contents. At its full 1.5 specific gravity rating it is engineered for up to 162,630 pounds of contents. Those are the numbers that drive your foundation: a tank this size needs a properly engineered, level concrete pad sized for the loaded weight, not just the empty shell. Use the Tank Sizing Calculator and the Tank Sizing Guide to confirm 13,000 gallons matches your draw-down and refill cycle before you commit to a footprint this large. For the pad itself, our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks walks through the ACI 360R-10 framework and where the ACI 318 boundary falls - essential reading at this scale. Bulkhead and threaded fittings on a tank this size carry static head from a 198-inch water column, so confirm the outlet fitting and gasket are rated for that head pressure and chemically matched to your liquid before filling.
Common uses and what to get right
At 13,000 gallons, this black vertical storage tank is a workhorse for bulk water reserve, agricultural and irrigation supply, industrial process water, and fire-water storage. The black wall blocks light, which discourages algae growth in standing water - a practical reason many operators choose black over lighter colors for long-dwell storage. Storing brine, liquid fertilizer, or another liquid heavier than water? The 1.5 specific gravity rating, engineered to 162,630 pounds of contents, is the reason to choose this tank over a standard 1.0-rated water tank - just verify your liquid's actual specific gravity stays at or below 1.5 before filling. If this is going into a private fire-protection reserve, read our fire-water reservoir tank design guide for NFPA 22 sizing discipline and freeze-protection in cold climates. For reuse and aggregation setups - grey-water, rainwater, or HVAC condensate - our industrial water reuse tank topology guide covers quality-banded storage trains and treatment sequencing.
The mistake to avoid
The single biggest error at this size is underbuilding the foundation. A 144 x 144 inch footprint carrying up to 162,630 pounds will find every soft spot and slope in an unprepared pad, and an off-level large-diameter polyethylene tank loads its wall unevenly. Get the pad engineered and verified level first. Fitting and outlet locations are shown on the technical drawing on this page - review it against your plumbing plan, and because standard fitting and outlet configuration for this model is confirmed at order, call 866-418-1777 to verify the bottom outlet, fill, and vent locations before you order.
Freight
This tank ships LTL freight from Albertville, AL, the named shipping point for this model, and freight is quoted live to your ZIP. Because it ships only from Albertville, transit distance drives your freight cost more than tank price at this size, so pull a live ZIP quote before budgeting. A 13,000-gallon tank is an oversized load, so get your delivery site, offload equipment, and access route planned before it arrives. Get an exact number with our Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will walk through delivery logistics for a tank this size.
