The Snyder Industries 16500 Gallon XLPE Black Vertical Storage Tank (SKU 5380000N46) is a heavy-duty crosslinked linear polyethylene vertical tank built for large-volume water and high-density liquid storage. It stands 257 inches tall — roughly 21.4 feet — on a 142 x 142 inch footprint, molded in crosslinked linear polyethylene (XLPE) with a black exterior that blocks light to slow algae growth. Rated to a 1.5 specific gravity, this tank holds far more than water alone, making it a workhorse for bulk storage, fire-water reserves, and industrial process supply where a smaller vertical storage tank simply won't keep up.
Will it work for your site?
Filled with water, this tank carries roughly 137,610 lb of contents; loaded to its full 1.5 SG rating it can hold up to 206,415 lb — those are filled-contents weights for foundation design, not shipping weights (the tank ships empty). The 1.5 SG rating is the ceiling for this XLPE line: it handles contents up to about 12.5 lb per gallon, so if you are weighing a heavier-than-water liquid, this is already the high-density option rather than a stepping stone to something stronger. Run your volume and stand-time through the Tank Sizing Calculator and the Tank Sizing Guide, and see our guide on concrete pad sizing for above-ground polyethylene tanks to get the foundation right. The 142 x 142 inch footprint is your minimum clear pad dimension, and at 257 inches tall you also need overhead clearance planned for crane or ladder set and reach to the top fittings.
Fittings and access
Per the technical drawing on this page, this vertical tank is configured with a flange, a 12" x 26" fitting, an 18" polyethylene threaded/vented fitting, a flat fitting, and a manway with 15" access for interior inspection and cleaning. Reference the technical drawing for exact fitting locations and elevations before you plumb inlet, outlet, and vent lines. The 18" vented fitting matters on a tank this large — proper venting keeps the tank from pulling a vacuum during high-rate drawdown. One planning note: gasket and bulkhead fitting elastomers are not XLPE, so if you are storing anything other than water, verify that the seal and fitting materials are chemically compatible with the contents alongside the tank resin before commissioning.
Common mistake to avoid
This is a crosslinked (XLPE) tank rated to 1.5 specific gravity, so it handles heavier-than-water contents that a standard 1.0 SG linear tank would not. Do not, however, treat the SG rating as a green light for chemical service without checking resin compatibility for your specific liquid — XLPE resistance is chemical-, concentration-, and temperature-specific. For water applications, the main planning error is undersizing the foundation for the loaded weight. If this tank is a candidate for grey-water, rainwater, or HVAC-condensate aggregation, review our industrial water reuse tank topology guide, and if you need freeboard math for expansion, see our Snyder freeboard sizing guide per ASTM D1998. For fire-water or freeze-exposed installations, our fire-water reservoir design guide covers NFPA 22 sizing and cold-climate protection.
This tank ships empty by LTL freight from the Snyder plant in Lincoln, NE, with freight quoted live to your ZIP — get your number from the Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777. At 257 inches tall, delivery and offloading of the empty tank need to be coordinated in advance, so reach out and we'll help you plan the set.
