Cisterns

[bluefish]

Anybody have any experience with cement vs plastic cisterns? I was thinking cement would be more durable, but was told by a contractor friend that most cement cisterns leak. The experiences I've had with cisterns have all been cement and they were fine, but they were old installations.

[justin_time]

Been using a cement one for 14-15 years, no problem.

[wally]

I would be concerned about leaching into the water...I say that biting my lip. this farm was built in 1938, our cistern looks like it has a inside skim coat of something that looks like plaster..prev owners lived to over 90 years old each and well we are dead yet..

[meanwhile]

We have two cement cisterns and no problems with either one. Our's are only five plus years old but we have not had any leaking or problems. I hope we don't either!

We did put a coating on the inside of our cisterns too. They were newly bought cement septic tanks. Each holds 1200 gallons water. When we bought them, the man that helped install them brought some type of plaster stuff that we smeared all over the inside to help protect the sides plus he said it would help keep any outside leaching out.

Good luck!

[littlebitfarm]

Mine is 20 years old and no leaks that I know of.

Kathie

[65284]

Just don't drink out of a hotel cistern!!!!

[george darby]

leaching of plastics is a new worry that has come about in the last few years and one that becomes a greater concern the more we learn about of course u will have to look at the differences in cost of each and mabey consider 2 separate cisterns one for drinking water (concrete)and one for the other household uses(plastic)most of your water use will go in showers and thru the commode .one guy I knew put in a seperat system drawing water from his lake thru a filter just for use in the commode .we were fortunate in being able to use the existing cisterns left when the previouse house had burned they are the old brick valts lined with cement plaster the cistern at the barn is just a cement plaster about 2" thick against the clay and shale soils .another idea is have u looked at the fesability of a well?

[TxMex]

After having to drain a concrete cistern because rats got in it and drowned....I'll never have another one. I've had several plastic water storage tanks over the years and I really like them. They are easy to drain and clean, but since they have a nice tight fitting lid and I use a roof washer, I've never needed to clean one out. You can re-sell them for about what you paid for them if you should decide to move. They can be moved around the property if needed. It is easy to expand your water storage capacity. Simply add on more tanks.

[PaulaBlanch]

Does anyone have experience with putting in a water collection tank for rainwater and water from our "Be-Dry" system? We live in a residentially zoned area of our city and plan to use the tank only for emergency back-up water supply and irrigation of our garden and fruit trees.