ALASKA

WATER CISTERN BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH
SERIES
NBI: A515.161 for SMALL HOUSES HCM-01557

Introduction
This publication is one of nine that has been translated from Norwegian. They are taken from a series of publications produced
by the Norwegian Building Research Institute (NBI) series, “Byggdetaljer,” which literally translated means “building details.”
The translations were done by Dr. Nils Johanson and Richard D. Seifert of the University of Alaska Fairbanks with the cooperation
and permission of NBI, Oslo, Norway. The financial support for the translations and printing came through the Alaska Department
of Community and Regional Affairs, from USDOE Grant DE-FG06-80CS6908. The publications use the original index code of
the Norwegian “Byggdetaljer” series so that specific translations can be directly cited. All questions on these translations should
be directed to Richard D. Seifert, Cooperative Extension Service, P.O. Box 756180, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks,
Alaska 99775-6180. Phone: 907-474-7201

0 GENERAL If a filter is used, be sure that it has a sufficient

capacity. If the filter clogs and this goes undetected,
01 This bulletin describes construction of a cistern for large amounts of water can be lost. Install an overflow
collecting and storing rainwater for household use. to drain the water away if the filter is clogged. The
The design for a collection system and the construction overflow should empty where it will be noticed.
and maintenance of such a cistern are described.
06 Before choosing a cistern design, select a location where
02 In many places along the coast, collecting rainwater is sufficient water can be collected. It is important to realize
the only realistic method for obtaining useful drinking ahead of time that a cistern will require regular
water. Usually, it is collected from the roof and di- maintenance in order to provide water of good quality.
verted to a cistern (water tank) (Figure 02).

03 The rainwater, which is collected and stored under

appropriate conditions, will be sanitary and safe as
drinking water. The water can be purified, and the
taste, color, and appearance can easily be improved.

04 Air pollution from industrial emissions has caused

some rainwater to be relatively acidic and to contain
soot and similar particles. However, evidence shows
that there is no reason to warn against the use of
rainwater.

05 Plant debris, soot, and dirt from the collection surface,

will be flushed into the cistern. This will gradually
reduce the quality of the water. A filter can be used to
collect some of these contaminants. If the filter is
installed in front of the cistern it must be large enough
to accommodate all the water that will flow through it.
If the filter is placed on the outlet side of the cistern,
only the water that is used will be filtered. A filter will
last longer if water for washing, irrigation, and so on
is diverted and bypasses the filter. The simplest design Figure 02
is to place a filter in front of the drinking water outlet. Examples of cistern installation for a summer house.
 1 COLLECTION SYSTEM 122 A 100mm (4 in) roof gutter, correctly installed, will
usually have sufficient collection capacity for a house
11 Collection surfaces with a floor area of 150m2 (1,500 sq ft). A large enough
gutter allows for easy removal of plant debris. Steeply
The collection surfaces must not contain impurities that sloping roofs can cause water to gush over the edge of the
can be carried into the cistern. If a roof surface is used for gutter during heavy rainstorms. This should be considered
water collection, it should not contain tar or lubricants. when dimensioning the gutter. The roof gutter should
Asbestos cement plate can also be unhealthy. If have a 1% slope towards the downspout. (Figure 122).
questionable materials are used, ask the manufacturers if
they will affect water quality. Sod roofs are not suitable
as a collection surface. Roof covering materials that are
normally useful as collection surfaces include tile,
concrete, or slate shingles, aluminum, and corrosion-
proofed steel. Plastic materials can also be used as a
coating material or as a separate cover. If rock surfaces
are used for collection, they must be protected against
traffic and soiling. The area must be fenced in. If water can
seep in from uncontrolled areas, it must be drained away.

111 Birds are the most common source of pollution on roofs.

They can, however be prevented from landing by putting
wires low over the roof surface (Figure 111).

Figure 122
Installation of gutter

123 Downspouts from the gutter to the filter or intake box

should be selected after evaluating the manufacturers
specifications. Downspouts must be large enough for
leaves to flow into the silt separator. From the filter
installation, use a soft pipe of polyethylene or ABS plastic.
This pipe can be as small as 32mm (1.5 in) in diameter.

Figure 111 2 CISTERNS

Bird wire to protect from birds landing on the roof.
21 Sizing and selection of cistern
112 Leaves, conifer needles, and pollen will, together with To determine the most economical cistern size, first
soot and dust, create a constant problem for the cistern evaluate the annual house demand for water and
user. Trees that are close to the house can be determine the annual precipitation and distribution of
advantageously removed. After long, dry spells and precipitation throughout the year. In parts of the country
during the flowering periods of plants and trees, let the where most of the precipitation falls during the fall, it
first rain shower bypass the cistern until the collection may be necessary to have the cistern volume equal to
surface has been flushed clean. the entire annual usage. If the precipitation is evenly
distributed throughout the year, a cistern volume of
12 COLLECTION SYSTEM
one-third of the annual need is reasonable.
121 Gutters and downspouts must be dimensioned and
211 The demand for water varies from person to person.
constructed so that a permanent water collection system
Twenty gallons per person per day is generally used as
is achieved. Collection plumbing must be corrosion
an average number if there is no flush toilet in the
resistant. Gutters can be made from many materials,
house. If a flush toilet is used or if a garden is watered,
such as plastic, zinc, copper, and steel. Most
daily use can be as much as 70 gallons a day per person
manufacturers have gutters of different sizes, shapes,
. As a rule, it is impossible to cover a large demand for
and materials. To ensure good results with tight joints,
water with a cistern. So called “cabin toilets,” which
use components made by the same manufacturer. If
flush to a closed tank, use about 1.5L (0.5 gallons) /
these guidelines are carefully followed, installation of
flush. Normal toilets use about 9L /flush (3 gal). It is
a water collection system is usually easy, even for do-
normal to calculate about 5 flushes/person /day. For
it-yourselfers.
year-round occupancy the necessary cistern volume is

2
 20 – 30 m3 (5,000 to 7,000 gal) where 1m3 is 1000 L. 217 Vinyl cloth or polyethylene can also be used as a liner
For cabins and seasonally occupied buildings, the neces- material in cisterns. The storage tank can be buried or
sary volume generally ranges from 500 to 3,000 gal. stand above ground (Figure 25).
212 Cistern volume should be determined by the local 22 Placement
average annual precipitation and the available Placement of cisterns depends on local site conditions.
collection surfaces. The tank should be protected against heat, mechanical
loads, and so on. When installations will be used year-
Two inches of precipitation yields one gallon of water per
round, winter freeze protection for both the foundation
square foot of collection surface. The collection surface
and the water supply system must be considered. Figure
is measured horizontally. For a roof, it is the floor area of
22 shows some placement possibilities.
the house plus the area of eave overhang. A good rule of
thumb is to subtract about 10% of the calculated water
volume to allow for loss by flushing, overflow, and so on.

213 The shape of the cistern should allow for easy placement
and maintenance. Divide the cistern into several separate
compartments so that water flow will enhance
bacteriological self–cleaning. For systems designed for
year-round use, it is necessary to have a minimum of two
separate tanks so that cleaning and maintenance can be
done without having to empty the cistern. All cisterns
must have a manhole lid in order to clean the entire
internal surface.
214 The construction material for the cistern must be water
tight. In addition, the inside surface must not give off
substances that make the water unsuitable for drinking.
Traditionally, poured concrete systems have been the Figure 22
rule, but lately prefabricated systems made of plastic or Examples of placement of systems.
glass fiber–reinforced polyester are popular. These
systems are especially the well–suited for summer houses, 221 In the case of seasonal use or installations where there is
cabins, and seasonal-use buildings. no electricity, the tanks should be placed so that gravity
feed can be used to deliver the water. This can be
215 Poured concrete cisterns are generally used for buildings accomplished by placing the cistern in sloping terrain, in
which have year-round occupancy. The shape is totally the attic, or on a support under the eaves. The water can
arbitrary and, with careful design, the cistern will blend be pumped by hand from the cistern to a day tank in the
into the overall landscaping. The year-round cistern attic or to another place higher than the outlet pump
must be protected against freezing to avoid leaks and to (Figure 221)
assure a continual water supply throughout the winter. If
the concrete cistern is buried, groundwater must not The cistern can be placed underneath the building in the
penetrate the cistern. On frost susceptible soils, cracks in basement or buried outside for some freeze protection.
the cistern may occur, increasing the danger of ground-
water infiltration. See recommendations for placing of
poured cisterns (Figure 22).
216 Prefabricated tanks of plastic are an appropriate cistern
solution. Plastic materials are usually maintenance–free
and tight enough that they can be buried. There are
several cistern types on the market. They vary in shape
and hold up to 1000 gal of water. Some manufacturers
deliver larger tanks by special order. To obtain good
storage capability and to avoid emptying when cleaning,
it is necessary to put the tanks in series or to have several
separate tanks. The price of prefabricated cisterns will
generally decrease with size on a relative cost-per-gallon Figure 221
basis, the larger the cistern, the cheaper the per gallon Schematic drawing for a gravity–fed pressure system with a
cost. (This also is true for special orders up to 20 or 30 m3.) cistern pump and a day tank.

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222 If the cistern is buried as shown in Figure 222, the fill
material must be packed in tightly around the tank,
especially the lower quarter of the tank. Fill material,
such as sand or gravel with a diameter of less than 0.5
in can be used. Mechanically crushed rock must not be
used. Nor should fill material that contains frost–
susceptible material such as clay be used. If the cistern
is subjected to uplift pressure due to a high groundwater
table, it must be secured. Avoid placing the cistern
where there will be mechanical loads, such as vehicle
traffic, on the tank.

Figure 232
Cistern built partly above ground.

Figure 222
Schematic drawing for placement and backfill of buried cistern. 233 The concrete should be C-20 1:2.5:2.5 (cement/sand/
23 Cisterns cast in place gravel). Use clean aggregate with a maximum diameter
of 25mm (1 in). The floor is poured, compacted, and
231 The container should be constructed at one end of the leveled after the initial set. Smooth it with wood and
house for ease in collecting water from downspouts on steel trowels. When the forms are removed, after
either side of the roof. There must be a lid for each about a week, cover the interior and exterior walls
chamber with an opening of .7m x .7m (2 ft x 2 ft). The with a mixture of cement and fine sand. (The walls can
lids must be lockable. also be polished and smoothed with steel trowels
instead of being covered with a layer of cement mortar.
The bottom of the container must have a gradient of 1 This will ease the cleaning process.)
to 50 to a drain so that the container can be totally
emptied of water. The container must be buried at a There are additives that can be added to the mortar to
frost-free depth, and in many locations, the walls and reduce water penetration.
roof must be insulated (see point 3). The container
must never be placed where the water from a sewer 24 Masonry cisterns
line can infiltrate the system. Cisterns can be made of masonry, such as lightweight
concrete. Special blocks are used that have room for
232 A tank with crawl space over the concrete deck is mortar and reinforcement (Figure 24).
shown in figure 232. The roof water is directed from
the downspouts over the tank’s inclined roof to the The inside of the cistern is covered with a good cement
intake box. Between the container and the wooden mortar and the surface is coated with a water–sealing
walls of the house, there must be a water–tight barrier layer. The watersealing layer can also be added directly
made of roof tar paper with the joints glued together to the mortar.
(Figure 232). Ensure good drainage under and around
the container so that contaminated or polluted water
cannot penetrate. The terrain must always slope away
from the container to ensure drainage.

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 Figure 26 a
Examples of GAP cisterns

Figure 24
Cistern made of lightweight concrete

25 Cisterns of fabric or foil

A cistern can also be made like a pool, with a plastic
liner as the impermeable layer. Manufacturers of
swimming pools sell premade vinyl cloth. Fill the
excavation with sand that is carefully compacted, or Figure 26b
mount the pool on a special frame that is placed above Examples of polyester cisterns (daytanks)
ground (Figure 25).
3 FROST PROTECTION
Even in coastal areas wintertime temperatures can
cause a cistern system to freeze. To avoid problems, a
system designed for year-round use must be insulated
against freezing.

31 Placement

311 If the cistern is placed on the ground with the top

surface exposed to open air, the walls and top must
have extra insulation. If the bottom of the cistern is
deeper than about 4 or 5 ft it can remain uninsulated.
Figure 25 To avoid cold bridges and to maintain higher ground
Cistern pool of vinyl cloth.
The cistern must be built-in, or provided with a solid lid. temperatures, insulation should be placed as shown in
(Figure 311).
26 Prefabricated cistern
Most cisterns are now made of plastic. Different plastic
materials are available; the most common is fiberglass-
reinforced polyester (GAP) and polyethylene (PE)
(Figure 26a). Larger cisterns are made in the form of
cylinders, preferably of fiberglass-reinforced
polyester, a material that is both strong and light
weight. Smaller cisterns of polyethylene are made in
a variety of shapes and dimensions that make them
easier to place (Figure 26b).

Figure 311
Frost protection using the soil geothermal heat (in
nonpermafrost areas only).
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312 If the cistern is placed on solid rock, significant 314 In maritime coastal climates there are often large
warming by the soil is not likely and the bottom must variations in temperature during the winter. With a
usually be insulated (Figure 312a). If the cistern cover large, insulated, year-around cistern, the stored heat in
is more than 8 to 10 square meters (80 - 100 sq ft) it the water will often be sufficient to prevent freezing
may be advantageous to insulate as shown in figure during a short cold period. If the cold period is
311. Boards of extruded polystyrene are recommended prolonged, freezing will usually start at the coldest
for this application because they resist moisture and surfaces. By placing the intake a bit above the bottom
normal loads. As small a surface area as possible is of the cistern, longer frost-free operation can be
recommended. Cylindrical cisterns should be insulated maintained. The intake pipe should be insulated and
with batt insulation (Figure 312b). heated with a heat tape. The heat tape can be threaded
inside the pipe or wrapped around it. If thermostatically
controlled, 2 to 4 watts per meter might be sufficient.
If the heat tape itself can be frozen, then freezing can
take place, and the heat tape can be used as a thaw
cable. This type of heat tape can be operated manually
and should have a capacity of 25 watts per meter. See
Figure 314. In a well–insulated installation thawing
will take about 30 minutes. The electricity must be
shut off after thawing to avoid overheating.

Figure 312a
Frost protection of cistern on rock.

Figure 312b
Frost protection of prefabricated cisterns above ground. Figure 314
Placement and frost protection of intake pipe in the cistern with
temperature sensor in the outside air.
313 If the cistern is excavated down to a frost free depth,
frost problems are avoided. However, this in itself
leads to several other problems, such as difficulties in 315 Heating with a thermostatically controlled heat tape
cleaning, and may not be practical. A better solution will afford good protection against freezing. The tape
would be to insulate the ground above the cistern as is placed in loops on the tank bottom and intake and
shown in figure 313. The necessary depth of soil cover wired to an automatic thermostat that will turn on at
will depend on the thickness and the extent of the the appropriate temperature (Figure 314 and 315). A
insulation. well–insulated cistern will need heat tape with a
capacity of about 10 watts per square meter of surface.
There are two main types of heat tape. Traditional
cables have a fixed resistance per length. If the
electricity is used directly, the cable can be used in a
fixed length. If a change in length is desired, use a
transformer. There are also self–regulating cables that
can be cut to the desired length without changing the
heating capacity. A transformer is unnecessary. The
heating increases with a decrease in temperature in
such cables. The temperature sensor is placed inside
the cistern and the tape will operate whenever the
temperature is below freezing (Figure 315).

Figure 313
Frost protection of cistern buried in soil.

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 4 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION

41 Cleaning
Regular cleaning of the cistern is necessary to maintain
pure, potable water. Microbiological activity in the
sediments causes a slime-like substance to grow on
the inside of the cistern. The growth increases with
temperature and the coating will, if not removed
regularly, impart taste to the water. Cleaning is usually
done once a year. Use a stiff brush, water, and baking
Figure 315
Frost protection of cistern with heat tape.
soda. Finally, wash the area with ample amounts of
The temperature sensor is placed inside the cistern. clean water. Careful cleaning of the collection area
(the roof and downspouts) along with a good intake
316 Sediment traps, filters, and plumbing must be secured filter and cold storage, can lengthen the time between
against freezing. Cold temperatures and snow on the the cleaning. Summer cisterns must always be cleaned
roof, combined with solar heat and snow melt during by emptying and decommissioning at the end of the
the day, can lead to a frozen filter system. Figure 316 season. The cistern openings should be plugged after
shows the filter insulated together with the cistern. If cleaning for winter storage.
this causes problems, the filter can be insulated
separately and heated with heat tapes. Problems can 411 Gutters and pipes normally require no maintenance
also be solved by allowing roof water to bypass the but must be cleaned, usually in both the spring and the
filter outside the cistern in the winter season. If the fall. Cleaning should be part of the maintenance routine
filter and cistern temperatures are above freezing, a whenever the filter is checked.
positive heat flow in the downspout will occur and
prevent freezing. 412 When decommissioning summer cisterns, the
downspout must be vented to the ground in the normal
way. Excess water spray can cause the building to rot.

413 If several collection tanks are used, they should be

used in sequence so bacteriologically clean water can
be stored.

414 Winter operation of cistern installations does create

problems. Components that cannot withstand freezing
must be frost protected or dismantled. Filter systems
which are to be used during the winter must be placed
in a frost free environment.

5 REFERENCES

51 Bulletin is developed by Oddvar Stensrod and edited

by Johan H. Gosbak. The editing was completed
September 1978.

Translated into English by Nils Johansen and Richard

D. Seifert, University of Alaska Fairbanks, May 1989
Figure 316
Frost protection of filter and cistern with heat tape.

A heat tape placed within the downspout will simplify

thawing if the pipe freezes. Pipes that are in the shade
or in drafts should be of a material that can resist
freezing.

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 Visit the Cooperative Extension Service web site at
www.uaf.edu/coop-ext

417/8/91/RS/1600 Reprinted May 2002

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service programs are

available to all, without regard to race, color, age, sex, creed, national origin, or
disability and in accordance with all applicable federal laws. Provided in furtherance
of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Anthony T. Nakazawa, Director, Cooperative
Extension Service, University of Alaska Fairbanks.