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A DYI brick cistern will be used to store the filtered water. This one will hold about 9450 Litres of water.
(about 2500 gallons) The blocks are filled with cement and re-enforced with 1/2 inch rebar. A potable water approved sealer will be used on
the inside.
The total cost will be under 1000 dollars (not including labor). There will be a cover to prevent algae from growing in the water. The cover will be galvalume roofing material and the rain water runoff from the cover will be filtered and used in the cistern also.
Update: June 14 2010: The rubber sealer failed. There was too much moisture in the concrete, and soil and the humidity was too high and the temperatures too low to allow the coating to cure at the bottom levels of the cistern. The sealer on the top levels of the structure did set up very nicely, and did function as the manufacturer stated.
After removing the uncured portion of the rubber sealer, two coats of ansi-61 potable water approved portland cement was applied. This was just the portand cement with no sand added. The cement was mixed to a paste and applied with a large paint brush. The cistern is now 90 percent full, and appears to be holding the 20,600 pounds of water it now contains. (8.33 pounds per gallon X 2490 gallons = 20,658.4 pounds or about 10 tons) Directly below are pictures of the resurfaced cistern walls. Regarding the portland cement as a sealer, I would use at least 6 coats - as the cistern is gradually loosing water now (as of August 1, 2010 about 100 gallons have seeped out), and I would seal the outside of the blocks also. Another option is to just put a liner inside the tank, that way if the concrete cracks the liner will still hold the water. In this case we will install a liner as soon as the water is used up. Portand cement cures effectively when it is wet, but two coats is just not enough.
WARNING: Water is very heavy. This small cistern contains over 10 tons of water. I have purposely over-built this structure and placed over half of it underground. If you plan to build a concrete block cistern, or any kind of water container above ground that will contain more than several hundred gallons of water have a qualified engineer help you with the design. An accidental rupture or any kind of accident with thousands of pounds of water in a container would be extremely hazardous. You have been advised.
Below are pictures from Late April and early May 2010:
Update: June 14 2010: The rubber sealer failed. There was too much moisture in the concrete, and soil and the humidity was too high and the temperatures too low to allow the coating to cure at the bottom levels of the cistern. The sealer on the top levels of the structure did set up very nicely, and did function as the manufacturer stated.
After removing the uncured portion of the rubber sealer, two coats of ansi-61 potable water approved portland cement was applied. This was just the portand cement with no sand added. The cement was mixed to a paste and applied with a large paint brush. The cistern is now 90 percent full, and appears to be holding the 20,600 pounds of water it now contains. (8.33 pounds per gallon X 2490 gallons = 20,658.4 pounds or about 10 tons) Directly below are pictures of the resurfaced cistern walls. Regarding the portland cement as a sealer, I would use at least 6 coats - as the cistern is gradually loosing water now (as of August 1, 2010 about 100 gallons have seeped out), and I would seal the outside of the blocks also. Another option is to just put a liner inside the tank, that way if the concrete cracks the liner will still hold the water. In this case we will install a liner as soon as the water is used up. Portand cement cures effectively when it is wet, but two coats is just not enough.
WARNING: Water is very heavy. This small cistern contains over 10 tons of water. I have purposely over-built this structure and placed over half of it underground. If you plan to build a concrete block cistern, or any kind of water container above ground that will contain more than several hundred gallons of water have a qualified engineer help you with the design. An accidental rupture or any kind of accident with thousands of pounds of water in a container would be extremely hazardous. You have been advised.
 Cistern with the ansi-61 coating June 2010 |
 The modified version starting to fill June 2010 |
 The modified version almost full: 5 bricks under water - and one still above. June 12, 2010. Will the cement hold over time? - that is a good question. |
 This is the modified cistern full of water June 30 2010. The green color is from the cement and the reflection from the big leaf maples above. In the lower left corner the short pipe is the input and the long pipe is the output Fresh water is always coming in the top. |
Below are pictures from Late April and early May 2010:
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Below is the cistern with all the rough edges and chips on the sides removed with the
use of a wire brush; and the sill plates installed. |
Below is the cistern with rubber sealer coating (first coat). It is a non-toxic potable
water approved rubber sealer. In this situation the sealer did not work because the concrete blocks were absorbing too much moisture
from the surrounding soil.
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