O/T old cistern on my farm

Kow Farmer · Jul 1, 2012

I need some advice from all of you.
I found an old cistern on my farm a couple years ago. I was not aware of it when I bought the farm. The former owners never mentioned it on the property. It is not used any more. It is about 8' away from my house and covered with a very heavy concrete slab. What I am wondering is what can I do to close it up? It is probably 10'-12' deep, and 5' or so in diameter. It does have water in it yet, probably 3'-4' deep. I was wondering what the proper way to close this up? Fill it with gravel and rocks? I am open to all safe ideas. Thank you everyone.
Kow Farmer

paul · Jul 1, 2012

Cistern.

Well.
Septic tank.

Really could be any one, you are smart enough to look at pipes near by & have it figured out right. Just saying.

Well would be a big issue (in our nanny-state county!), spetic tank would be an issue, don't think a cistern is much of an issue.

The gravel sounds good.The foundation of it might be an issue oif you evcer plan on building anything over that direction, add-on, garage, even just a patio, you'll have uneven settling for years.

If someone runs into it building later on, there might be a long work stopage until they (the nanny state) determine what it was.

I'd do the gravel, unless some of these concerns will hit you in the future, then might work harder at breaking the foundation down or otherwise getting rid of from being found.

--->Paul

aFORDable · Jul 1, 2012

Gravel is the best way to fill an old cistern. It will flush the water out and fill the hole. I've done 5 this way with great results.

Janicholson · Jul 1, 2012

If the slab is solid and structurally drivable, and if I lived where there is any threat of fire, I would channel all rain water into it and buy a 2 inch discharge pump. I would also buy enough fire hose to get 50 ft to the far side of the house, and an adjustable nozzle from fog to stream. using it to water the lawn, geeps it green, and the engine running. When fire strikes it then saves far beyond the bacon. Jim

TomH in PA · Jul 1, 2012

My cousins used to swim in theirs on hot days. With a good cover I don't see a problem, but filling it with stone seems like the best way to eliminate it.

old · Jul 1, 2012

Sure wish I had what you have. Many things I could think to use it for. If set up to drain it would make a top notch storm shelter or a root cellar or if left like it is a good way to catch rain water if you ever get any and then pump it out to water the garden and I could list many more things to use it for. But if your dead set in filling it up that is simple fill it with dirt, not top soil but just run of the mill dirt then top it off with top soil after you remove the cement that is and also take that cement and drop it in the bottom first

Russ from MN · Jul 1, 2012

I would never fill it in, it has too many good uses. Probably good place to store vegetables, an excellent storm shelter. You could put a treated wood floor in it down about 7 feet and leave some water in the bottom for emergency's if you are in an area where water is short.

730 virgil · Jul 1, 2012

check with county health dept.
in il. there are procedures you need to do to close wells etc..
in this nanny state we now live in if something goes wrong you can say well i did as i was told

Anonymous-0 · Jul 1, 2012

I use mine for watering the garden. Post below about diverting rain water into is a good idea and as large as it is you would have plenty of water for the garden during these long dry spells.

paul · Jul 1, 2012

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/ruleshandbook/treatment.pdf

Have to go down near the bottom (search the doc for 'cistern'), says you don't need to hire a pro, but need to break up one wall & floor, and don't use gravel, use similar to surrounding dirt so it doesn't perk faster than 'normal' ground.

--->Paul
sealing holes in MN

notjustair · Jul 1, 2012

I"d be lost without mine, but it is a good bit larger (23 feet deep, 25 foot circle). I would pump from it and see how fast it recovers. It could be too low volume to be useable. I assume it is brick lined? If you must fill it in I would go gravel and break up the slab on top.

John B. · Jul 1, 2012

I wouldn't go down in it unless I purged it out good with clean air or used a shop vac to suck all the low laying gas out of it, if there is an LP tank around, you could have gasses that are heavier than air in there that don't support life and you'll only get two good breaths before you can't move any more.
Just something to think about...

Oldiron29 · Jul 1, 2012

KF, My concern would be age? My house was build in 1853 It had a cistern at each corner to catch
rain water. Build of red brick with lime mortor.
The mortor was loose and in danger of collapse.
So I had a backhoe dig open the tops and fill them. I never heard of someone falling in to a cistern that had been filled in.
If I was to build a storm shelter as some have mentioned. I would no go below ground in any brick shelter, That could bury me alive. Best well or water storagebelow grade would be
precast cement or solid poly tank. oldiron29

GeneMO · Jul 1, 2012

I would under no circumstances breathe a word to any state or county official. They may know all the rules about filling one, but they will run you ragged with threats, fines, permits, fees, inspections, and on and on. If there is a good, strong, safe top on it so no kids can drown, I would leave it alone.

A cistern is just a storage cavity, not a well. If you pump a cistern dry, it will stay relatively dry unless the gutters or something else drains in it to refill it. Folks around here with a cistern only had to haul water in every week or so to refill it.

If you pumped it dry, and then it refills quickly, with no rain, then it must be a well and be connected to some sort of water table.

If it connects to a water table, then pollution would be an issue if contaminants such as grease, oil or herbicides could get in it.

Good luck, Gene

TomA in CA · Jul 1, 2012

If it is an old well I would drop a 4" pipe down with a section of perforated or well screen near the bottom and back fill with drain rock. It would still hold a lot of water and whatever flow comes into it would still be able to b pumped from it. Seal the top few feet with clay.

JDseller · Jul 1, 2012

There where three old "bee hive" brick cisterns on this farm when I bought it. My grand Father left them because he might want to use them sometime. I was afraid of them collapsing if they where accidentally ran over with the bigger equipment we have these days. So I filled them all in. I used a back hoe. I first pulled the top off of them and I then stuck the hoe down into the coned top. I lifted it causing it to collapse in on itself. I then filled them in with sand to about three feet from the ground lever. I then filled the rest of the way with dirt. This way two of them are farmed across and unless it is real dry you never know they are there. The other one is in the yard and you never know where it was.

So I would just remove the top and start filling it with sand. The water will absorb into the sand. So you don't have to pump it dry. Fill it up and let it settle for a few months and then back fill it completely with dirt. You could back fill it right away but it will settle so you would need more dirt to level it with. I had more sand than dirt so I waited to back fill the dirt.

jm. · Jul 1, 2012

Some of these post really make me glad I live in Tennessee. can,t think of a state having anything to do with one filling up a hole on his own property. Cistern is NOT a well it is a lined water storing cavaity. Over the years I have put together 6 old farms here and almost everyone had from one to two cisterns. we did just as john said take the track hoe open up the top down three feet or so and fill with gravel p so far then soil. Can think of three that we farm right over the top and never notice. Bad thing is finding one in the woods somewhere that is not covered or covred with a cover that will not support the weight of a man. Got lucky grandson was metal detecting around an old house place we had purchased came up on a large cistern that only had sheets of old tin roof over it. Tree leaves had covred the tin, very dangerous. We have since got it filled.

showcrop · Jul 1, 2012

I agree with you in filling it in. I found two old stone lined wells on property that our town bought. I filled them in quick, major liability. I would get bank run gravel if available, cheaper than crusher run.

PJH · Jul 1, 2012

Over the years we filled a lot of wells and cisterns on highway relocation projects. Always used sand, delivered in a concrete truck. No muss - no fuss. It forces the water right out the top. Compacts itself. Most of the time it didn't involve any machinery, unless there was a heavy cover over the access hole. Whatever you do, don't let anyone step in that sand until it settles. It's quicksand. Always covered it safely for the night, and the next day it would support anything.

Personally, I'd hate to do without our cistern. I'm watering three rows of sweet corn out of it right now.

toadady · Jul 1, 2012

i had two open ones on our place, they both got filled with dirt/rock whatever, but when they dumped the fill in , the trash came floating out! made one heck of a mess in the yard, plastics everywhere,

JMS/.MN · Jul 2, 2012

MN is nuts. In Metro counties, you can"t rip out even a stone foundation without sending it to a crusher. Apparently the concept of rocks in the ground goes against MPCA. Outstate counties you can"t burn a building to demolish it. If demo"ed on site you might need the licensed specialist to oversee the contractor.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 2, 2012

If its not being used and you feel it might be a danger to someone, hire a backhoe and get it collapsed right where it sits. :wink:

O/T old cistern on my farm

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