The Norwesco 16 Gallon Portable Flat Bottom Utility Tank is a compact white polyethylene tank built for low-volume transport and dispensing where a full-size loaf or doorway tank is more than the job needs. At 16 gallons it stands 17.5 inches tall on a 14 x 20 inch flat-bottom footprint, so it drops straight into a truck bed, ATV rack, or skid frame and sits stable without cradling. It carries Norwesco's 1.5 specific gravity rating, which is the number to anchor your fill decision on before you load anything heavier than water.
Will it work for your load?
Run the weight before you fill. Full of water this tank holds about 133 pounds of contents, and Norwesco rates it to a maximum of 200 pounds of contents at its 1.5 specific gravity ceiling. Here is the punchline that rating delivers: at 1.5 SG you reach the 200-pound ceiling at exactly full volume, which means there is no weight headroom for any fluid denser than water once the tank is topped off. To run a fluid heavier than water, take its specific gravity, multiply by 133, and confirm you stay under 200 pounds before filling; anything above roughly 1.5 SG has to be under-filled. The flat-bottom design drains and sits flat, and the 14 x 20 inch footprint and 17.5 inch height are the two clearance dimensions to measure against your bed rails, rack, or topper before you commit. For a quick check on the math across your fill range, the Tank Sizing Calculator and Tank Sizing Guide walk through weight and capacity sizing.
The mistake to avoid
The trap on a small utility tank is treating the 1.5 specific-gravity rating as headroom for any fluid. It is not. The 200-pound rated contents weight is the hard ceiling, not the 16-gallon volume, so a dense fluid can max out the tank well before it looks full. If you are hauling this on a farm vehicle on public roads, the DOT classification and the 49 CFR 173.5 agricultural exemption matter for how Norwesco portable utility tanks are handled in farm fleet use; our guide on Norwesco loaf-style portable utility tanks and the 49 CFR 173.5 agricultural exemption covers where that line sits. Check the technical drawing on this page to confirm fitting locations and overall dimensions against your setup before you buy.
Freight and ordering
This Norwesco white utility tank ships LTL freight from the nearest Norwesco plant for this SKU, which routes from Sheldon, IA. Freight is quoted live to your ZIP rather than baked into the list price, so enter your delivery ZIP in the Freight Cost Estimator for a real number routed from the origin closest to you. Questions on fit, fittings, or sizing for your application? Call us at 866-418-1777 and we will help you spec the right utility tank before it ships.
