Found cistern under my home; now what?

**LXS** · 03-29-2010, 11:57 AM

Hi y'all:

I recently moved into a new home (rental). I was racking the backyard and found a man-hole cover that leads to a cistern under the home. It smells good and the water is clear. Now what?

I pay for my water from the city lines, so I'd like to supplement my water with this 'free' supply. How do I use it; what for and how do I make sure its safe?

All tips appreciated
LXS

probably a bad idea, huh?

**Libby** · 03-29-2010, 12:05 PM

Id have it tested first before drinking from it, using it.

**Greebo** · 03-29-2010, 12:06 PM

Smell and clarity isn't sufficient to ensure water quality. If you have it tested, and it comes up clean, then you could have a pump installed to transport the water inside to a dedicated tap. My grandparents had two wells - one sulfurous, one clean. The clean well produced very little water - so they had a single tap for it in the kitchen for drinking water, and the rest of the house got the sulfur water for everything else.

You could also use it for lawn and garden watering and the like and not drink it.

**LXS** · 03-29-2010, 01:05 PM

A dedicated tap would be a great idea! I don't intent to drink the water but I am hoping I could use it for the dishwasher, cleaning, and such.

to do list:
get water tested
price a pump
price plumbing and tap install (and possible electric tankless heater)
price potential savings

...
we shall see

**stinkbug** · 03-29-2010, 02:18 PM

I don't think I'd do/buy/test anything if it's a rental. Have you talked to the owner/landlord?

**Greebo** · 03-29-2010, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by stinkbug

I don't think I'd do/buy/test anything if it's a rental. Have you talked to the owner/landlord?

Yes you don't own the property - so do NOTHING without his knowledge and consent.

**Grainlady** · 03-29-2010, 03:57 PM

As the others voiced, have it tested. There are so many things in water these days that you can't possibly tell anything by sight or smell, such as:

-Cryptosporidium
-Giardia lamblia
-Legionella
-e. Coli
-Microorganisms such as viruses, parasites and bacteria
-Ground water contamination from pesticides
-Contamination from a septic system or underground oil container

Depending on the size of the city you live in, I suspect there may be laws concerning having/using cisterns in your city/county, so you may want to call the local health department on that subject. It may need to be filled in for safety reasons.

My sister had a cistern in Indiana (rural) and they had to have it tested each year and added bleach to the water to control bacteria.

I knew a woman who used an artesian well and she nearly died from e. Coli found in the water.

If you are looking for a way to save money on water doing dishes... We save cold water that runs out of the pipes before it gets hot enough to take a shower, and use saved water to do dishes. I save it in 3-gallon plastic jugs for easy use as well as storing it (with the appropriate amount of bleach in it) for emergency water use.

I can do dishes with approx. one gallon of SAVED water. I heat 5 cups of saved water in an electric kettle, add 5 cups of cold water, and rinse the dishes in the remainder of a gallon. You need to use a small plastic tub sitting in the sink for this task. Most people use 5-7 gallons of water to do dishes by hand, so this is a good use of water that is typically run down the drain waiting for the water to get hot.