Gutter to well

I think most of us would agree that IF it is a cistern we would not only say proceed, but would actually encourage it.

HOWEVER until it is determined to be a cistern and not a well I for one say it is a big no no to further consider it especially in view of the laws concerning such in so many of the states.

So, how do I figure out if it is a cistern or a well? All I know is that it is a deep, round hole with nothing in it. I was told it was a well when I purchased the house, but was also told that the lady's husband never could get water from it, so they had city water hooked up. The other water source here is a creek that is about 20ft elevation lower than the house.

It doesn't sound like a cistern to me, if it is very deep and so narrow you can't climb into it. If you are digging out a concrete cistern it is easier to dig it wider and shallower for the same storage room.

It sounds to me like you have a shallow well, and like others I would encourage you to get it properly sealed rather than putting water down it.

If it's deep enough that that you have to drop rocks into it because you can't see the bottom and the second part of the house is built over it then it's probably a well. I have a cistern here that all my evestroughs drain into, it's an underground concrete box about the size of a septic tank. I think if yours is a cistern you would easily be able to see the bottom of it. I don't think a person digging a cistern would dig a deep cylindrical hole.

Also if it's sealed over so the kids can't have access to it but you are able to open the seal to drop rocks down it I would strongly suggest it be professionally and permanently sealed so no kids fall down. If it's under the house the fire department may have a difficult time getting their equipment in there in an emergency.

Call the county and ask them what it is. It sounds like the cistern we had when we lived in town. The city came and filled it with pea gravel for us.

If there was originally no source of water other than the creek it probably IS a well. If it's a well it's not safe for you to drain water into the well. Does your county do well inspections? Do you have well diggers in your yellow pages? I'd start asking questions in those two places.

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Moms don't look at things like normal people.
-----DD

Quite common here to create a well and then build a house right over top of it. I'm guessing thats what you have.

My house has a large concrete cistern in the basement. I can walk around inside of it. The walls are 6 inches thick and about 8 feet high.
The bank barn has 4 shallow, concrete cisterns, two on each side of the ramp to the hay floor.
This farm sold cream many years ago and the house well sits in what once was a springhouse to keep the milk cool.