Norwesco 1500 Gallon Plastic Containment Tray in Black

What it is for

Secondary containment is the tray under the tank that holds the contents if the tank fails. The usual rule a regulator or an insurer applies is that the tray holds at least the full volume of the largest tank standing in it, plus an allowance for rain if it is outdoors; the exact figure is set by your state and your permit, not by us, so check it before you buy. At 1500 gallons this tray covers a single tank up to that size with no rain allowance, or a smaller tank with room to spare. Inside the 182 by 98 inch footprint you can stand one large horizontal or vertical tank, or several totes or drums side by side. The 28 inch wall means everything that goes in the tray is lifted over the wall: plan the forklift approach, the crane swing or the pump-over before the tray is positioned, because once a full tank is standing in it the tray is the last thing anyone wants to move.

What to check before you buy

1. The floor. A tray is a flat bottomed moulding and cannot bridge anything. It needs a flat, continuous, swept surface across the whole 182 by 98 inches, with no drain, joint, slope or stone under it; a stone under a tray that is carrying a full tank becomes a permanent pressure point.
2. The tank's footprint. The tank's legs, skid or base ring must land inside the tray's flat floor, away from the radius where the wall meets the bottom. Measure the tank's base, not its widest point.
3. Rain. Outdoors, the tray fills with rain. Either roof it, pump it down on a schedule, or size up; a drain is not moulded in, and any you add is your design and your responsibility.
4. The liquid. Polyethylene handles water, most fertilizers and many common chemicals. For anything aggressive, check the liquid against the material before you order, and ask us if you are not sure.

Norwesco's drawing for the tray, linked on this page under Technical Drawing, gives the wall profile and the inside dimensions at the floor.

Sizes nearby

One size down: the 1300 gallon containment tray in black. If the tank you are containing is bigger than 1500 gallons, tell us the tank and we will point you at the right tray or at a basin built for it; the tank sizing calculator gives the tank volume if you only know its dimensions.

Shipping and receiving

At 182 inches long the tray is oversize freight: it travels on a flatbed as freight class OVS, NMFC 156600-02, from Norwesco's Fairfield, Texas plant, 182 by 98 by 28 inches and 310 lb. You need a forklift with long forks or a loader and straps to take it off; it will not go through a standard door, so it is set in its final position from the truck or from the yard. The listed price is before freight; the freight cost estimator gives the lane cost to your ZIP. At the tailgate, check the part number against 43575 on the bill of lading and walk the whole rim and floor for cracks or gouges before you sign; a tray with a crack is not containment. Fill it a few inches with water the first time to confirm it holds before anything stands in it.

Questions before you order? Call 866-418-1777.