A 1425 gallon low profile underground cistern for a shallow hole
The Norwesco 1425 gallon underground water storage cistern, part number 44406, is a white polyethylene tank 157 inches long, 60 inches wide and 51 inches tall, weighing 384 lb empty. The shape is the point: at 51 inches tall it goes into a shallow excavation where a round cistern of the same volume would need a much deeper hole, which matters on rock, on a high water table or where the backhoe is small. It has a 20 inch gasketed manway on top and two manholes to bring up to grade. Norwesco rates it for liquids up to 1.9 specific gravity, the service limit is 130 F, the resin is FDA compliant per Norwesco, and Norwesco backs it with a 5 year warranty. 1425 gallons of water weighs 11884 lb.
Know your burial depth? Call 866-418-1777 with the depth to grade and we put the risers on the same order, or price freight to your ZIP and add it to your cart above.
Where it goes
A 1425 gallon cistern is a household rainwater store, a buffer on a slow well so the pump always has volume to draw from, a water supply for a cabin or an off-grid site, or a fire reserve next to a pump. In the ground it stays cool and dark, which keeps the water fresh, and below the frost line it works through winter. The low profile shell is built to be buried: the installer beds it on compacted granular fill and backfills in lifts while filling the tank with water in step, so the long flat sides are supported as the soil load goes on, and keeps vehicles off the area unless the installation is designed for traffic. Norwesco's installation instructions for this tank are the authority on bedding, backfill and burial depth; your installer follows them, not this page. If the tank is part of a rural fire supply, our piece on reservoir sizing and freeze protection for rural and remote sites covers how it fits in the stack, and if it is collecting water for reuse, the article on reuse topology and quality-banded storage trains explains how to keep water of different grades apart.
Openings, fittings and risers
- Manway. A 20 inch gasketed manway: wide enough to lower a submersible pump and a float, and to get in and inspect. The gasket keeps surface water and soil out of the stored water.
- Inlet and outlet. Norwesco's data for this tank lists no inlet or outlet fitting. Tell us what you are connecting and we confirm what the tank ships with and what bulkhead fittings you add. Dry-fit each one, point it where the pipe runs, then tighten by hand plus a quarter turn, because once the tank is buried nothing moves again.
- Risers. Norwesco's riser and extension options for this tank are ordered two at a time, one per manhole: a 6 inch extension (N-63832), a 15 inch extension (N-63833), a 24 inch extension (N-63834), a 23 inch riser with a 12 inch lid (N-63831) or a 36 inch riser with a 6 inch lid (N-63830). Measure from the top of the tank to finished grade and tell us the number.
- Drawing. Norwesco's drawing for this tank, linked under Technical Drawing on this page, shows the manhole positions and the flat areas of wall that will take a fitting.
Sizes nearby
The same tank with flat pads moulded into the side for an inlet is the 1425 gallon underground cistern with side inlet flats, which is the one to buy if your inlet comes in from the side rather than the top. One size down: the 1200 gallon underground cistern. A step up: the 1450 gallon underground cistern. Use the tank sizing calculator and tank sizing guide to work out the volume from your roof area or your draw.
Shipping and receiving
The tank ships as oversize freight, 157 by 60 by 51 inches and 384 lb, from the nearest of Norwesco's Lancaster, Ohio, Shawnee, Oklahoma, St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, Tooele, Utah and Washougal, Washington plants. The listed price is before freight; the freight cost estimator gives the lane cost to your ZIP, or request a written quote for a job that needs paperwork. Have a loader or three people ready; a tank this long is awkward for two. At the tailgate, check the part number against 44406 on the bill of lading, look at the shell and both manhole rims for transit damage, and fill it with water once above ground before it goes in the hole; our write-up on hydrostatic acceptance testing and fill discipline covers how long to hold it.
Questions before you order? Call 866-418-1777.
Freight and documents
Ships from: St. Bonifacius, MN; Lancaster, OH; Shawnee, OK; Tooele, UT; Washougal, WA. LTL freight is quoted to your ZIP with the freight cost estimator or by phone at 866-418-1777. The listed price is before freight.
Technical drawing (PDF) for Norwesco 44406.
See this tank
Product video. Watch the Norwesco 1425 Gallon Underground Water Storage Cistern Tank video (69 seconds) with dimensions, fittings and shipping notes.
Ready to order?
Add it to your cart at the top of this page, get LTL freight to your ZIP, request a written quote, or call 866-418-1777. The listed price is before freight.
