Tank Volume & Fill Calculator
Select a tank shape, enter dimensions and optional fill height. Picture updates with the shape.
Shape preview

Water Tank Volume Calculator – How to Calculate Tank Capacity in Litres, Gallons, and m³

If you want to know how to calculate water tank capacity, how to calculate water tank capacity in litres, how to measure water tank capacity, or how to check water tank capacity, this complete guide explains every method. It covers rectangular, circular, square, overhead, underground, fish tanks, rainwater tanks, and fire water tank capacity calculations.

All related queries such as how to calculate water tank liter capacity, how to calculate water tank capacity in gallons, how to calculate m³ water tank capacity, and how to calculate capacity of water tank are fully answered with formulas and examples.


Understanding Water Tank Capacity

Water tank capacity is the total volume of water a tank can store. This volume is usually expressed in:

  • Litres
  • Gallons
  • Cubic meters (m³)

This section answers:

  • what is the capacity of water tank
  • what is the capacity of a water tank
  • what is the storage capacity of this water tank
  • what is the capacity of water tank in liters

How to Calculate Water Tank Capacity (All Methods)

Tank capacity is calculated based on tank shape and dimensions. Each type has its own formula.


1. How to Calculate Rectangular Water Tank Capacity

Rectangular tanks are the easiest to calculate.

Formula

Capacity (Litres) = Length (m) × Width (m) × Height (m) × 1000

Example

A tank measuring 2 m × 1 m × 1 m:

Volume = 2 × 1 × 1 = 2 m³
Capacity = 2 × 1000 = 2000 litres

This section answers:

  • how to calculate rectangular water tank capacity
  • how to calculate water tank capacity by size
  • how to calculate water tank capacity in meter
  • how to calculate water tank capacity in feet
  • how to calculate tank water capacity
  • how to calculate water tank

2. How to Calculate Circular Water Tank Capacity

Cylindrical or circular tanks require radius measurements.

Formula

Volume (m³) = π × r² × h  
Litres = Volume × 1000

This section covers:

  • how to calculate water capacity in circular tank
  • how to calculate circular water tank capacity
  • how to calculate water tank volume
  • how to calculate volume of a water tank
  • how do you calculate the volume of a water tank

3. How to Calculate Square Water Tank Capacity

Square tanks are similar to rectangular tanks but have equal sides.

Formula

Litres = Side × Side × Height × 1000

This section answers:

  • how to calculate water capacity of square tank
  • how to calculate the water capacity of tank

4. How to Calculate Water Tank Capacity in Litres

To convert cubic meters to litres:

Formula

Litres = m³ × 1000

This section answers:

  • how to calculate water tank capacity in litres
  • how to calculate litres of water in a tank
  • how to measure water tank capacity in litres
  • how many litres in a water tank
  • how to calculate water liters in tank
  • water tank how many litres

5. How to Calculate Water Tank Capacity in Gallons

Formula

Gallons = Litres × 0.264172

This section covers:

  • how to calculate water tank capacity in gallons
  • how to calculate water gallons in a tank

6. How to Calculate Water Tank Capacity in Cubic Meters (m³)

Formula

m³ = Length × Width × Height

This answers:

  • how to calculate water tank capacity in m3
  • how do I calculate m3 water tank capacity

How to Measure and Check Water Tank Capacity

You can measure tank capacity manually using internal dimensions.

Steps

  1. Measure internal length, width, height.
  2. Convert all values to meters.
  3. Apply the relevant formula.

This section answers:

  • how to measure water tank capacity
  • how to check water tank capacity
  • how to find the water tank capacity
  • how to find out water tank capacity
  • how to measure the capacity of water tank
  • how to find capacity of water tank
  • how to know water tank capacity
  • how to count water tank capacity

How to Calculate Water in a Tank (Partial Capacity)

If the tank is only partly filled:

Formula

Water Volume = Tank Base Area × Water Depth

This answers:

  • how to calculate water level in tank
  • how to calculate depth of water in a tank
  • how to calculate water quantity in tank
  • how to calculate water in a tank
  • how to calculate how much water in a tank
  • how to calculate volume of water in a tank
  • how to calculate the volume of water in a tank

How to Calculate Fish Tank Water Capacity

Most fish tanks are rectangular.

Formula

Litres = Length × Width × Height × 1000
Gallons = Litres × 0.264172

This covers:

  • how to calculate water in fish tank
  • how to calculate fish tank water capacity
  • how to calculate water volume in fish tank

How to Calculate Fire Water Tank Capacity

Fire tanks are sized based on fire flow and duration.

Formula

Fire Tank Capacity = Fire Flow Rate × Required Duration

This section covers:

  • how to calculate fire water tank capacity
  • how to calculate water storage capacity of a tank

How to Calculate Overhead and Underground Water Tank Capacity

Use standard tank formulas for underground or overhead tanks.

This section answers:

  • how to calculate overhead water tank capacity
  • how to calculate underground water tank capacity
  • how to calculate underground water tank size

How to Calculate the Size of a Water Tank

To size a water tank:

  1. Determine daily water usage
  2. Multiply by desired storage days
  3. Choose tank size based on total volume

This covers:

  • how to size water tank
  • how to calculate water tank size
  • how to calculate the size of water tank
  • how to calculate size of water tank needed

How to Calculate Rainwater Tank Capacity

Formula

Rainwater Volume = Roof Area × Rainfall × Runoff Coefficient

This answers:

  • how to calculate rain water tank size
  • how to calculate rain water tank capacity

How Much Is a 5000 Gallon Water Tank?

A 5000-gallon water tank holds approximately 18,927 litres.

This answers:

  • how much is a 5000 gallon water tank

How to Calculate Weight of Water in a Tank

Formula

Weight (kg) = Litres × 1
Weight (kN) = Weight (kg) ÷ 100

This section covers:

  • how to calculate weight of water in tank
  • how to calculate water weight in tank
  • how to calculate the weight of water in a tank
  • how to calculate water tank load on slab

Conversion Table

UnitConversion
1 m³1000 litres
1 litre0.264 gallons
1 gallon3.785 litres
1 ft0.3048 m

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate the capacity of a water tank?

Measure internal dimensions and apply the appropriate shape formula.

How to calculate the water tank capacity?

Multiply base area by height and convert to litres or gallons.

How to calculate volume of water tank in litres?

Find m³ and multiply by 1000.

How to calculate capacity of water tank in litres?

Use length × width × height in meters and multiply by 1000.

How to calculate a water tank capacity?

Use formulas for rectangular, circular, or square tanks.

How can calculate water tank capacity in liters?

Convert tank volume in m³ to litres by multiplying by 1000.