The Norwesco 550 Gallon Black Vertical Storage Tank is a 550-gallon polyethylene vertical tank that stands 44 inches tall on a 67-inch diameter footprint (67.0 x 67.0), with a 1.5 specific gravity rating that covers water and a wide range of heavier liquids. The black resin blocks sunlight, which slows algae growth in outdoor bulk water storage compared to translucent tanks. If you have been hunting for a Norwesco vertical storage tank in this capacity class, this is the squat, wide-base configuration that keeps the center of gravity low when full.
Will it work for your storage job?
Filled with water, this tank carries roughly 4,587 pounds of contents. Because it is rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, it can legitimately hold a full charge of liquid weighing up to 6,880 pounds, and that is what makes the higher SG rating worth paying for: it is engineering headroom for denser fluids, not just water. You are already buying the heavy-duty rating on this tank, so design to use it. Plan your pad and anchoring around the contents weight, not the dry-tank weight, since at 1.5 SG the load case is up to 6,880 pounds for denser liquid or 4,587 pounds for water-only. The wide 67-inch base relative to the 44-inch height gives this tank a stable stance, but a full tank still needs a flat, fully supported foundation. Use the Tank Sizing Calculator to confirm the capacity fits your draw-down and refill cycle, and the Tank Sizing Guide if you are choosing between several vertical sizes.
Fittings, access, and foundation
Fitting and bulkhead configuration is not specified in our data for this SKU, so confirm inlet, outlet, and lid sizes against the technical drawing on this page or by calling 866-418-1777 before you plumb it. Access matters too: at 67 inches wide this tank will not pass through a standard 36-inch doorway or many farm gates, so measure your access path before ordering, since LTL delivers curbside. Once it is in place, the surface underneath matters as much as the tank itself, because a loaded 550-gallon vertical tank concentrates several thousand pounds onto a small footprint. Our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks walks through the ACI 360R-10 framework for sizing that pad. If this tank is going into rural fire-protection storage, the fire-water reservoir tank design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing and cold-climate freeze protection, and for reclaimed or harvested water the industrial water reuse tank topology guide and the first-flush diverter sizing guide are worth reading before you plumb the inlet.
The mistake to avoid
The most common error on a black vertical tank like this is treating the 1.5 specific gravity rating as a license to store anything. That rating is a structural weight allowance, not a chemical-compatibility statement. Black polyethylene handles water and many liquids well, but before putting any chemical in this tank you must verify the fluid against three things: the black polyethylene resin, every fitting material, and the gasket or o-ring elastomer. Gaskets and o-rings fail first on aggressive chemistry, often while the poly itself is still fine, so they are where most field failures start. For water storage none of this applies, but the moment you consider a non-water fluid, run that three-part check first.
This Norwesco vertical storage tank ships by LTL freight from the nearest of our stocking and fulfillment locations: Fairfield, TX; Griffin, GA; Hanford, CA; Owego, NY; Shawnee, OK; Sheldon, IA; St. Bonifacius, MN; Tooele, UT; Washington Court House, OH; and Washougal, WA. Freight is quoted live to your ZIP code, so get a number now with the Freight Cost Estimator, or call 866-418-1777 and we will help you spec the tank and lock in delivery.
