Norwesco 2000 Gallon Underground Water Storage Cistern Tank

Where an underground cistern earns its place

A buried cistern stores water out of the sun and out of the frost, which keeps it cool, dark and clear and carries it through a hard winter. Rainwater collection, a hauled-water supply where there is no well, a reserve on a slow well, and a fire protection reserve for a rural property are the common jobs, and 2000 gallons is a size that covers a household for a useful stretch between fills. Our guide to fire water reserves and freeze protection for rural sites covers the reserve case, and the guide to rainwater and reuse storage trains covers collection systems. Work out the volume with the tank sizing calculator and the tank sizing guide.

Polyethylene does not rust, crack like concrete or taint the water. Like every buried polyethylene tank it is backfilled with care: a flat, compacted base under the full 126 by 98 inch footprint, clean fill worked under the curve of the walls, and water in the tank as the fill goes up so the walls are supported from both sides. If your project is a septic system rather than water storage, read our guide to Norwesco's IAPMO and CSA septic approvals and talk to us about Norwesco's septic tanks instead; a cistern is sold as a water tank.

Openings and fittings: what to check before you buy

1. Manway. One 20 inch manway cover. Keep the seat clean during installation; it is what keeps surface water and insects out of your supply.
2. Inlet and outlet. No fittings are listed with the tank. Tell us the pipe sizes and where the lines arrive and we put the right bulkhead fittings on the order. Most cisterns are drawn down by a submersible pump or a suction line through the manway or a riser; decide that before the tank is buried.
3. Risers. If the manway will sit below finished grade, Norwesco's risers and extensions for this tank are N-63514 (6 inch extension), N-62397 (15 inch), N-62396 (24 inch), N-62395 (25 inch riser with a 12 inch lid) and N-63830 (36 inch riser with a 6 inch lid); one of each is enough because the tank has one manhole. Put it on the same order so it arrives with the tank.
4. Depth of cover. Norwesco's drawing for this tank, linked under Technical Drawing on this page, is where the burial details live. Read it before the excavator arrives.

Sizes and versions nearby

For a buried tank that can carry liquids other than water, Norwesco's multi-use underground tanks are the 2000 gallon multi-use underground tank, part 44593 and the 2500 gallon multi-use underground tank, part 44079. For a septic system, the 1500 gallon septic tank, part 41761 is the nearest size. Each page carries its own dimensions.

Shipping and receiving

At 98 inches wide the tank ships as an oversize load from Norwesco's Washougal, Washington plant, 126 by 98 by 51 inches and 704 lb. The listed price is before freight; the freight cost estimator gives the lane cost to your ZIP. Plan a machine to unload a 704 lb tank and set it in the hole. At the tailgate, check the part number against 42559, look at the manway rim for transit damage, and keep the cover seat clean until it goes on for the last time. Fill with water before the tank is covered and check every fitting while it can still be reached.

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