Need Cistern Help Please

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Since we're renting, we didn't want to spend extra $$ to have someone come out here. We thought we could do this on our own.

Any information would be helpful...

To find out how many gallons your cistern holds you multiply length x width x height. This will give you cubic feet. There is @ 8 gallons of water in a cubic foot. Then divide the # of gallons by the height. That will tell you how many gallons per foot in your cistern.

You add @ 4/5 of a cup or 6 oz. of bleach per 1000 gallons. After a good rain add more bleach. Make sure you use plain old bleach.

You can get a test kit that will tell you the amount of chlorine in the water and if it is sufficient. Test every 2 weeks depending on rainfall

A filter is a good idea, one with charcoal will help with taste and oder.

We use our cistern for showers, dishes etc...drinking and cooking we get the 5 gallon bottles from schusters for 4 dollars...or you can fill them yourself for about 3

Many cisterns in the VI are built with 2 ,sometimes more, compartments. The downspouts are directed to one compartment, generally the smaller one and that compartment overflows into the second larger one. This allows you to draw water from the larger cistern side most of the time and only use the smaller one, which remains full from the downspouts, as a reserve cistern. There will be 2 valves outside on the pipe that leads to your water pump that allow you to choose which compartment to draw from.
While the cistern is overflowing from all the recent rain adding bleach will be fine as the compartments waters are intermingled - but you have to be careful and understand which compartment the bleach is going into at other times.
Lifting the cistern cover and shining a flashlight into it to understand the construction is worthwhile and learning the use of the valves feeding the water pump can be invaluable.
Testing one compartment while you add or overbleach the other -- while the water is not intermingled is the problem you are trying to avoid.

I also recommend getting your water tested at Ocean Systems in Gallows Bay. Stop by there (next to a tee-shirt store, I think, and near Computer Solutions, but they are in the phone book if you want better directions) and pick up a testing kit. They will give you three sterile bottles and you fill them with water and drop them back off on a Monday, and then they will give you the results of bacteria, pH, etc. within a few days. It costs $30, and is good for peace of mind! They also have directions for bleaching. We do not use the cistern water for coffee, but we use it to rinse fruits and vegetables and to cook with. We buy our ice.

Hope you are doing well!

Can I ask a dumb question? Do you see any yucky critters when you lift the cisters cover? I plan to be in China when we have to do this...!!!:-o

You might see yucky critters if you don't put screens in your downspouts and in your overflows. We had gongolos crawling into our cistern before we screened it, and that waterr was sure nasty! We then emptied and pressure-washed the cistern, and put screens in place.

We also filter our water, and pass it through a UV purifier, and have it periodically tested at Ocean Systems. We drink our cistern water without problems.

Is there anyone on St Croix that I can hire to come clean out our cistern?

I used Armando Cruz 340 277 8636. He did a good job.
Everyone should clean out their gutters, mine were full of leaves. Also, clorinate your cistern and change your filters. Make sure the overflow has a screen on it.

That number is not currently in service. Do you have another # for him?

Any other suggestions?

778-0464