Norwesco 1500 Gallon Plastic Multi-Use Underground Liquid Storage Tank

As a cistern

Buried, the tank keeps water cool, dark and out of the way: no algae, no freezing in most of the country, and no tank in the yard. It holds 1500 gallons, which is 12510 lb of water, a useful reserve for a rural house on a slow well, a rainwater system or a property that hauls water in. The inlet tee takes the downspout or fill line and the outlet tee takes the pump suction or the line to a pressure tank; the two manways give access over each end for a float switch, a submersible pump or cleaning. Where the water is for drinking, your local code decides what it requires of the tank, so ask before you dig; Norwesco's documents on this part number are on file and we will send what applies. For the volume, use the tank sizing calculator and the tank sizing guide.

As a septic tank

A septic tank is a permitted installation everywhere, and the permit is issued locally against a state list of approved tanks. Norwesco lists this part number with state septic approval in forty states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Take the part number to the county health or environmental office before you order, and ask whether the county wants one compartment or two; if it wants something this tank is not, tell us and we will point you to the Norwesco septic tank that fits the permit.

What to check before you buy

1. The hole. 135 inches long and 55 inches wide, plus room around it for bedding and compaction. The 70 inch height plus the cover your code requires sets the depth. For a septic tank, that depth also has to put the inlet below the house sewer line with fall to spare.
2. Inlet and outlet. Both are 4 inch adapter and PVC tee assemblies.
3. Risers. Both manways should come to grade. Norwesco makes riser and extension parts for this tank, two of each for the two manholes: the 6 inch extension N-63514, the 15 inch extension N-62397, the 24 inch extension N-62396, the 25 inch riser with 12 inch lid N-62395 and the 36 inch riser with 6 inch lid N-63830. Tell us the burial depth and we will put the right pair on the order.
4. Groundwater. An empty polyethylene tank in wet ground floats. Follow Norwesco's installation instructions on bedding, backfill and filling, and never leave the tank pumped empty when the water table is high.

Norwesco's drawing for this tank is linked on this page under Technical Drawing. It shows the inlet and outlet positions, both manway locations and the rib pattern.

This size in other versions

Norwesco sells this size under more than one part number, and the number decides which state approvals and documents come with it: the 1500 gallon multi-use underground tank, part number 41771 and the 1500 gallon multi-use underground tank, part number 41822. One size down: the 1250 gallon multi-use underground tank. If your inspector names a number, order that one.

Shipping and receiving

The tank ships LTL from the nearest of Norwesco's plants, 135 by 55 by 70 inches and 592 lb, on a flatbed or a trailer with the length for it. The listed price is before freight; the freight cost estimator gives the lane cost to your ZIP, and for a job that needs paperwork you can request a written quote. Have a machine on site to lift it off. Before the truck leaves, check the part number against 41772 on the bill of lading, look the tank over for gouges or a cracked rib, and check that both tee assemblies, the manway gaskets and any risers ordered are present.

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