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08/20/08, 12:19 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Help Please! I have cistern questions!
We have a contract on a piece of property that has a cistern for the water supply. The house has been empty for more than a year, and there is old water sitting in there. We have to have inspections done on all aspects so that we can get a loan on the property. I have read up on what needs to be done to clean the cistern, but we really need to find someone who can do the cleaning, chlorinating and inspecting. I have called every type of service I can think of. I have also called the county, and they can't tell me. In this area, cisterns are fairly rare. I called the person who hauls water to the area, they have no idea. If the cistern could slip under the lender's radar, and doesn't get inspected, we could rent a pump and a water sprayer and clean it out, then chlorinate it. I don't know how to go about inspecting it when it is empty though, and what to look for other than cracks. If ground water does get into the tank, would a whole house filter be good enough to make the water drinkable? I appreciate any help I can get!! Yes, I am a city girl, but county girl wannabe. 
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08/20/08, 12:30 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 19,350
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How is the cistern filled? And no, just a filter won't be enough to guarantee safe drinking water even if the ground water does not get in. If the water comes from the downspouts the water still would not be guaranteed safe to drink with just a filter. Roofs get dirty. Grandpa always called the cister water "sparrow poop water" because the sparrow would mess on the roof and the rain would wash the mess into the cistern water. There are fitration/sterilization systems available that use uv light to kill the pathogens in cistern water
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08/20/08, 12:45 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: tn
Posts: 4,910
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any appraiser worth their salt will look carefully at the water supply. i doubt you will be able to pull a fast one on a lender.
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08/20/08, 01:11 PM
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AFKA ZealYouthGuy
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NW Pa./NY Border.
Posts: 11,453
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It might help if we knew where you are speaking of. You'd be surprised who may live in the area and may have dealt with this already.
Does the water run when you turn the faucet on right now? If so, you may be in for an easy fix.
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08/20/08, 01:12 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danaus29
How is the cistern filled? And no, just a filter won't be enough to guarantee safe drinking water even if the ground water does not get in. If the water comes from the downspouts the water still would not be guaranteed safe to drink with just a filter. Roofs get dirty. Grandpa always called the cister water "sparrow poop water" because the sparrow would mess on the roof and the rain would wash the mess into the cistern water. There are fitration/sterilization systems available that use uv light to kill the pathogens in cistern water
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It would be hauled water, so city water. My question is, if there were a crack in the cistern and ground water were to get in with my city water would a whole house filter be enough to make the water potable?
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08/20/08, 01:14 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 19,350
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No. You would not believe the contaminants found in ground water. Not only stuff like oil and dirt but pathogens and mold too.
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08/20/08, 01:16 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marvella
any appraiser worth their salt will look carefully at the water supply. i doubt you will be able to pull a fast one on a lender.
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I have no intention of pulling a "fast one" on the lender. Clearly you don't know me. When I said if it went below their radar, I meant if they are going to let us clean and inspect it ourselves, or if it has to be done by a professional. Some things lenders are sticklers on in our area, and some things they aren't. I would be thrilled if they DID inspect it. Like I said, I have called all over looking for someone to do so.
Last edited by KindredSpirit; 08/20/08 at 01:25 PM.
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08/20/08, 01:21 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seedspreader
It might help if we knew where you are speaking of. You'd be surprised who may live in the area and may have dealt with this already.
Does the water run when you turn the faucet on right now? If so, you may be in for an easy fix.
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This is in Northeastern Kansas, about 30 miles south of Kansas City. We are having the electric turned on Thursday for the inspections on Friday. I will know then whether the water runs. I hope so!! 
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08/20/08, 01:22 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danaus29
No. You would not believe the contaminants found in ground water. Not only stuff like oil and dirt but pathogens and mold too.
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Yikes, that definitely wouldn't do. Any ideas on who to call to inspect it?
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08/20/08, 01:36 PM
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AFKA ZealYouthGuy
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NW Pa./NY Border.
Posts: 11,453
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KindredSpirit
Yikes, that definitely wouldn't do. Any ideas on who to call to inspect it?
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Call your local county extension agent, they will know. Some people freak about about their water, but the test that most drillers/well guys do is pretty basic really. Many of us drink well water without chlorine and do pretty good on it, but most of us also drink from deep wells out of the aquifer.
Your issue is surface contamination with a cistern. A whole house filter won't get everything, but a reverse osmosis 3 filter system on one location (assuming your water passes the basic test, testing for arsenic, etc) would go a long way in calming your worries.
Read about it here... because with a cistern, you usually have limited amounts of water and reverse osmosis will usually waste about 2 gallons for every gallon of filtered drinking water it gives you.
http://www.historyofwaterfilters.com...smosis-pc.html
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08/20/08, 01:44 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danaus29
No. You would not believe the contaminants found in ground water. Not only stuff like oil and dirt but pathogens and mold too.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seedspreader
Call your local county extension agent, they will know. Some people freak about about their water, but the test that most drillers/well guys do is pretty basic really. Many of us drink well water without chlorine and do pretty good on it, but most of us also drink from deep wells out of the aquifer.
Your issue is surface contamination with a cistern. A whole house filter won't get everything, but a reverse osmosis 3 filter system on one location (assuming your water passes the basic test, testing for arsenic, etc) would go a long way in calming your worries.
Read about it here... because with a cistern, you usually have limited amounts of water and reverse osmosis will usually waste about 2 gallons for every gallon of filtered drinking water it gives you.
http://www.historyofwaterfilters.com...smosis-pc.html |
I did call our county extension office, and also the neighboring county extensions, no one could give me the name of someone who cleans and inspects cisterns. I checked with our county environmental department, they have no clue. I also called companies that install wells, thinking they may be able to do it. They told me no.
Thank you for the link on the reverse osmosis system. I will read up on that. I appreciate the help!
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08/20/08, 02:01 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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I spoke with the lender and this is what they require:
[B]In order for us to finance a home with a cistern, we need the following:
-acceptable health authority approval; and
-appraiser’s certification that:
-cisterns are common to the area, and
-the cistern includes a pumping system to transport the water to the dwelling structure.
So, the lenders only concern is that the water passes code. They also have no idea who I should call. I really don't feel equipped to do it myself at this point. If anyone in the NE part of KS cleans and inspects cisterns, please PM me. Thanks!
Last edited by KindredSpirit; 08/20/08 at 02:07 PM.
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08/20/08, 02:32 PM
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AFKA ZealYouthGuy
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NW Pa./NY Border.
Posts: 11,453
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I simply meant call your county extension to get your water inspected. The actual drinkability of it. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.
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08/20/08, 02:36 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seedspreader
I simply meant call your county extension to get your water inspected. The actual drinkability of it. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.
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Oh, sorry, you were clear. I have a head cold and am a little loopy today! 
My problem is solved. I spoke with a neighbor and he said that cistern is only about two years old. We will just turn on an outdoor faucet and run the water down the hill, then refill! Thank you for all of your help!
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08/20/08, 02:38 PM
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Dallas
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: N of Dallas, TX
Posts: 10,122
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After doing online search and coming up pretty empty, I would try calling a regular home inspector and asking them if they inspect cisterns, if not, I would call a plumber and ask them. Last choice would be the nearest large town water dept to ask how you could get your water tested. This would give you a good idea if there was any ground water getting into it.
Good luck!
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08/20/08, 03:12 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,196
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Thanks everyone for your help! My problem is solved. I spoke with a neighbor and he said that cistern is only about two years old. The house is 38, so I assumed the cistern was too. We will just turn on an outdoor faucet and run the water down the hill, then refill! It should be able to pass the inspection then.
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