Cisterns

[unswydd]

Okay, I have 2 cisterns directly out my back door. Actually 3, the one has a pump which worked when I was a teenager, (back in the stoneage) but does not pump now. I am seriously thinking about having someone come look at it and see if I can't get it working again.
Are these safe? Can this water be used as drinking water? Does it need to be boiled or filtered? Is there a test that can be done by me? Or does someone who is a professional need to do it? I'd rather not too many people knew about them.
I actually fell in to one of them last summer and got pretty banged up caught myself by my elbows and got a pretty good hole in my leg from the fall. From what I could tell it was about 6 ft. around (from the inside) and was told it is about 35 ft. deep. I was drenched from the waist down. Awful scarey experience.

[pathfinder3081]

Cisterns!
You are a fortunate one. I would say that you need them capped though. Potable? That might yet to be determined. If it's concrete then you have a jewel that many of us would like to have. My experience with them was in the Islands only and there of course they are sealed tightly and Concrete (the one I have seen anyway) Hurricanes and storms might push the tide way over the top, 5 to 7 feet. Plastic will float, the CC is not as likely. We disconnect them from the structures above and cap them off. I found it odd that they were buried at first until it was explained and shown to me.

You can maintain the quality of the water with Chemicals, so you just gotta clean it out and let it fill up again.. Test and see if you have anything bleeding in. Good luck with it.

[unswydd]

Interesting. I think it's ground water that is in them. I don't know if they are concrete or not. I do know that the lids are fine but the concrete around the lids are breaking up. There are a lot rocks in one, (I accidentally? put them there). I thought about filling them in after I fell in the one but my brother told me a big NO just in case we ever needed them. Good forethought I think. That was last year. I may just grab a flashlight and go check them out. I know that the one I fell in is Full!

[unswydd]

I suppose this should have gone in Food and Water. Sorry.

[Omegaman]

If you can I would look in them to see if they are brick, stone, concrete or concrete block. Then I would test them for depth and size. Lastly find a place local or on line that does water testing but not a water filtration place because they will always tell you the water is hard or soft or bad but with the purchase of the filter system it can be fixed. I used an on line lab for about $40.00 they sent me a test kit and they tested for all of the bad things. Then you know what you need to do to make it drinkable or useable. You are most likely right that the are filled with ground water. I would mark off were the lids are just so some one else does not fall into them like you did. I droped a dozer through the lid of a huge septic tank that no one knew was on the property:( not fun. If all goes well you will have a great back up supply of water.

[unswydd]

I took some pics of them. They are on the inside aprox. 6ft in diameter, and the mainteance man at the church told me they are about 35ft deep. These are all concrete inside with bricked in at the top. Very nice.


First is the one on the SW side of the house. This is the one I fell in. Yikes
The big round thing is a sharpening wheel I found back in the woods here.

Second one is it open

the one directly out the basement door. It's pretty broken up that's why I have the cable wheel over it.

Last is the pump that used to work

[Skyowl's Wife]

If the cistern itself is intact under there, you might get some concrete and "sculpt" a new top for it.

[unswydd]

I may be able to do that. The top foot or so is brick , now I don't know what it would take but I could a little at a time build around what is there and maybe fill in the holes. The lids are steel and in good condition as well as the rings they sit on. Something for summer. Just what I need another summer project. LOL

[unswydd]

Here is the pic of the pump that I didn't get in.

[Skyowl's Wife]

If that's operational, you have a gold mine.

[pathfinder3081]

Those look sweet. I would try to limit any "Lawn Drugs" round there girl. They might just be shallow hand dug wells. Any way it's wet. Wash with it or make it Potable. Good Find!

[unswydd]

Those look sweet. I would try to limit any "Lawn Drugs" round there girl. They might just be shallow hand dug wells. Any way it's wet. Wash with it or make it Potable. Good Find!

I take care of my lawn and a fella in the church takes care of their lawn so no lawn drugs of any kind. I'm a firm non-believer!!!!!!!
The wells are concrete 6ft around and 35ft deep. There are 3 of them. The first one showing is full but the one out the back door is not. Probably only 1/2 full. Which is surprising because there is a lot of water runoff just above because of a missing gutter. I do have a very large garbage container catching most of the water tho. But, yeah, I'm really happy about having them. I'm going to get them tested soon to see where I'm at with it. I do know there is a lot of iron in the water and I have to filter my water to drink it. I also have a softner. It stinks too with out the softner. There's also gas in the lines cuz it spits at me. lol

[unswydd]

If that's operational, you have a gold mine.

It used to be. I think it might be an easy fix tho. I remember my little brother and I would take turns in the summer sitting under it while the other would pump ice cold water on us. Brrrrrrrr.....sure felt great!