The Snyder Industries 5500 Gallon vertical storage tank is a black, crosslinked linear polyethylene (XLPE) tank built to ASTM D1998 for heavy-duty bulk water and high-density liquid storage. It stands 221 inches tall on a 90 x 90 inch footprint, and its walls carry a 1.9 specific gravity rating, meaning the shell is engineered to hold contents far denser than water without over-stressing the laminate.
Will this Snyder 5500 vertical tank work for your site?
Filled with plain water at 5,500 gallons, the contents alone weigh about 45,870 pounds, yet the tank is rated to carry up to 87,153 pounds of contents at its full 1.9 specific gravity limit, nearly double the weight of water. That built-in density headroom means you can store water today and later switch this same tank to a heavier liquid without re-tanking. Plan your slab and site access around the loaded weight, the 90 x 90 inch footprint, and the 221-inch (over 18 feet) tall envelope, which also drives the overhead clearance your carrier needs to offload the LTL delivery. A tank this heavy demands a properly designed, level pad; our concrete pad sizing framework (ACI 360R-10) walks through the engineering boundary for a foundation of this size.
Nominal gallons versus the volume you can actually fill
The 5,500 gallon figure is nominal, not your fill volume for dense contents. At the 1.9 specific gravity rating you give up usable capacity to the freeboard the tank requires for a heavy liquid, so confirm the real working volume before you commit. Our Snyder freeboard sizing guide (ASTM D1998) shows how density eats into headroom, and you can run your own numbers with the Tank Sizing Calculator or the Tank Sizing Guide.
Fittings and access
The technical drawing on this page shows the fitting layout, which includes a flange, an 18-inch PE threaded and vented fitting, a fitting flat at 272.5 degrees, a S.U.M.O. fitting, and a manway with 15-inch access for interior inspection and cleaning. Confirm fitting positions and outlet elevations against the drawing before you plumb the tank, since inlet and outlet placement drives your pump and overflow routing. Any drop-in pipe fitting, bulkhead, or accessory must match the flange bolt pattern, and you should specify a gasket rated for the liquid you intend to store.
Why XLPE for a heavy-duty vertical tank
This is a crosslinked (XLPE) shell rather than standard HDPE. Crosslinking raises the tank's resistance to stress and aggressive contents, which is why Snyder rates it to a 1.9 specific gravity. If you are weighing a standard polyethylene tank against this one, our guide on Snyder XLPE vs HDPE explains when the crosslinked wall earns its place. For fire-water and rural reservoir duty, where a large black vertical storage tank like this one is a common choice, see our fire-water reservoir design guide.
This tank ships LTL freight from the Snyder plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a freight rate quoted live to your ZIP code. Get your number from our Freight Cost Estimator or call 866-418-1777 and we will help you size, spec, and schedule the delivery.
