A 500 gallon low profile septic tank for a shallow excavation
The Norwesco 500 gallon one compartment septic tank with low profile design, part number 43522, is a green polyethylene tank 97 inches long, 48 inches wide and 42 inches tall, weighing 179 lb empty. Low profile is the reason to buy it: at 42 inches tall it goes into a shallow hole, which is what you need on rock, on a high water table or where the drain line from the house arrives close to the surface. One compartment means a single settling chamber, the simplest septic tank there is. It has a 20 inch gasketed manway on top to bring up to grade. The resin is FDA compliant per Norwesco, the service limit is 130 F, and Norwesco backs it with a 5 year warranty. 500 gallons of water weighs 4170 lb.
Does your county accept it? Call 866-418-1777 with the state and the burial depth and we check the approval list and put the riser on the same order, or price freight to your ZIP and add it to your cart above.
Where it goes
A 500 gallon septic tank is a small one: a cabin, a seasonal cottage, a hunting camp, a shop with a toilet and a sink, or a dosing step in a larger system. The health department sets the size from bedrooms and soil, so confirm 500 gallons is allowed for your use before you buy; many jurisdictions require more for a full time house. Norwesco's state septic approval list for this tank names Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming; if your state is not on it, call us before you order. The tank 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 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 are the authority on bedding, backfill and burial depth; your installer follows them, not this page. Our guide to the Norwesco low profile tank series covers what the shape buys you and what it costs.
Openings, fittings and the riser
- Manway. A 20 inch gasketed manway: wide enough to pump out and inspect. The gasket keeps groundwater out and odour in. It comes up to grade through a riser; tell us the depth from the top of the tank to finished grade and we put the right riser on the order.
- Inlet and outlet. Norwesco's data for this tank lists no inlet or outlet fitting, so the tees and their gaskets are added to suit your permit. Tell us the pipe size from the house and we confirm what the tank ships with and what you add. Set the inlet higher than the outlet so flow is by gravity, and dry-fit everything before it is tightened, because once the tank is buried nothing moves again.
- Drawing. Norwesco's drawing for this tank, linked under Technical Drawing on this page, shows the manway position and the inlet and outlet heights.
Paperwork
The inspector will ask for the approval behind the tank. Our note on Norwesco septic tank documentation, north and south of the border explains which document covers which jurisdiction and what to hand over. If you are sizing the whole system, the tank sizing calculator and tank sizing guide cover the storage side.
Sizes nearby
One size up in the same low profile shape is the 750 gallon low profile one compartment septic tank with loose plumbing. Call us if your permit calls for a size between them.
Shipping and receiving
The tank ships LTL freight, 97 by 48 by 42 inches on a pallet and 269 lb on the bill of lading, from the nearest of Norwesco's Hanford, California, Lancaster, Ohio, Owego, New York and Shawnee, Oklahoma 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 permit file. Two people or a forklift can take it off the truck. At the tailgate, check the part number against 43522, look along both long sides and the manway rim for transit damage, and fill it with water once above ground before it goes in the hole so any problem shows while you can still reach it.
Questions before you order? Call 866-418-1777.
Freight and documents
Ships from: Hanford, CA; Owego, NY; Lancaster, OH; Shawnee, OK. 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 43522.
See this tank
Product video. Watch the Norwesco 500 Gallon One Compartment Septic Tank with Low Profile Design video (67 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.
