How to Use a Cistern for Drinking Water
- 1). Find a suitable container that fits your needs and budget. Your primary concerns are if the cistern's materials will leech into the water supply, if it is sturdy and if there is a drain at the bottom.
- 2). Place your cistern near your home, outbuilding or desired collection location. Secure a wire mesh filter over the inside of the drain and over the top of the cistern to filter out large debris. Materials for securing the mesh depend entirely upon the material of your cistern.
- 3). Fashion a system of pipes or adjust your gutters so the rainwater will drain off into the cistern. Alternatively, you can let the rainwater fall in directly.
- 4). Drain the water from the cistern as needed into vessels for purification.
- 5). Purify the water to make it potable. Your purification system will depend upon whether you are using the cistern for temporary or permanent water supplies. If it is a permanent practice, you will want to call a professional to get the water tested prior to purification to determine which methods of purification are necessary.
