Case Study: Cistern

Case Study: Cistern

According to Merriam-Webster, a cistern is "an artificial reservoir (as an underground tank) for storing liquids and especially water (as rain water)". The reason why a cistern is necessary for this horse stable is because there is no running water connected to the site. In order to get pipes installed to bring running water to site would currently be too expensive, therefore a cistern would be a more affordable option. 

A cistern can be built above or below ground There are certain advantages to each. With an aboveground cistern, the weight from the water can be used to pressurize waterlines. On the other hand with an underground cistern, the water is less likely to freeze during the winter and during the summer the water stays cooler. 

A cistern's components can be divided into the following parts: the water storage vessel, the water collection system, and the filter. Each component can be broken down further but there are key things to keep in mind when building or buying the cistern. For example, since this water is going to be used as drinking water for the horses using a material that could potentially pollute the water would be advised against. 

With using a cistern, there raises some concerns such as keeping the cistern clean and preventing it from freezing during the winter. As mentioned earlier, by using an underground cistern it lessens the chance of having the water freezing. Cleaning the cistern is extremely crucial because it prevents bacteria and other pollutants from building up in the water. Cleaning a cistern is relatively simple and usually follow the steps of draining the cistern if it's an old cistern or getting rid of construction residue if it's a new cistern, bleaching the walls, and then washing the bleach out. It is recommended that in order to keep a bacteria from building up, to clean it at least once every five years unless there is an issue with the cistern.

Ideally, this cistern should be able hold more than enough water for the horses during the course of a few months. Horses are known to drink on average 5 - 10 gallons of water daily.