Cistern

Modern cisterns range in capacity from a few litres to thousands of cubic meters, effectively forming covered reservoirs.

[4] Waterproof lime plaster cisterns in the floors of houses are features of Neolithic village sites of the Levant at, for instance, Ramad and Lebwe,[5] and by the late fourth millennium BC, as at Jawa in northeastern Lebanon, cisterns are essential elements of emerging water management techniques in dry-land farming communities.

In the Iron Age, underground water systems were constructed in royal centers and settlements throughout ancient Israel, marking some of the earliest instances of engineering activity in urban planning.

[citation needed] Cisterns are commonly prevalent in areas where water is scarce, either because it is rare or has been depleted due to heavy use.

It is not uncommon for a cistern to be open in some manner in order to catch rain or to include more elaborate rainwater harvesting systems.

[9] One particularly unique modern utilization of cisterns is found in San Francisco, which has historically been subject to devastating fires.

Modern cisterns are manufactured out of plastic (in Brazil with a characteristic bright blue color, round, in capacities of about 10,000 and 50,000 liters (2641 and 13,208 gallons)).

Some countries or regions, such as Flanders, Bermuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have strict laws requiring that rainwater harvesting systems be built alongside any new construction, and cisterns can be used in these cases.

[14] Other countries, such as Japan, Germany, and Spain, also offer financial incentives or tax credit for installing cisterns.

The city of San Francisco, notably, maintains fire cisterns under its streets in case the primary water supply is disrupted.

It was necessary to pull a hanging chain connected to a release valve located inside the cistern in order to flush the toilet.

In Northeastern Brazil, the One Million Cisterns Program (Programa 1 Milhão de Cisternas or P1MC) has assisted local people with water management.

[16] The Semi-Arid Articulation (ASA) has been providing managerial and technological support to establish cement-layered containers, called cisterns, to harvest and store rainwater for small farm-holders in 34 territories of nine states where ASA operates (Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Piauí).

Water collected in it during 3–4 months of the rainy season can sustain the requirement for drinking, cooking, and other basic sanitation purposes for rest of the dry periods.