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Home Sanitation and Hygiene: Cistern

Cisterns. Rain water when properly collected at a distance from large towns is pure and soft. In towns and cities it is often contaminated by smoke and fumes in the atmosphere. Cistern water in such localities should therefore be filtered and boiled before drinking. The rainfall collected in cisterns is a valuable source of water supply in localities where it is difficult or costly to drive a well and also in regions where the water is hard. In some localities this is the only source of water supply available. Rain water is soft and hence especially adapted to laundry purposes.

Cisterns must be carefully screened with wire netting to exclude insects, toads and other vermin and should be so arranged as not to admit surface water. They should be kept scrupulously clean. The first rainfall should be excluded to allow the accumulated dirt to wash off the roof and out to the gutters. For this purpose place a cut-off on the rain water pipe to divert the flow from the cistern. Various automatic devices of this sort are on the market. Locate a cistern close to the house for convenience, or construct it in a corner of the basement or cellar. 34 GLAZED EARTHENWARE A HAND SUPPLY- FILLED TANK #15" --- Vent CISTERN +1 •Overflow.

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Rubber Lube Plugged 25- CASENT JOINT CEMENT JOINT Cistern made of tile.

GLASS TUBE-Telltale SUNION AND OV CLASS TUBE VENT OVERFLOW A cistern may be built of concrete or brick laid upon a solid foundation, and may be either round or rectangular. A round or egg-shaped cistern is preferable to one with square corners. It is more difficult to build but is stronger and easy to keep clean, especially for drinking purposes. A cheap and convenient small cistern and filter may be built of tile. Two styles of this kind of cistern are shown in the illustration. A little ingenuity used in the construction of a cistern and filter will be amply compensated by a pure and abundant supply of soft water for household use. The average rainfall throughout the U. S. on a surface 40 feet square will supply 5 or 6 barrels a day, which is sufficient for an average family.

To Make a Brick Cistern. -Use good hard brick and Portland cement mortar composed of one part cement and two parts of clean sharp sand.

Lay the bottom with two courses of brick well bedded in cement mortar.

Lay up the walls not less than eight inches thick and plaster with cement both outside and inside, troweling it down smooth and hard. Make sure that the walls, top and bottom are water tight. A leaky cistern is equally as liable to pollution by seepage as a shallow well or spring. If the water is to be used for drinking purposes, build in a filter. And this plan is better in all cases.