Welcome to our NOT Haunted Cistern. Come on in, the waters fine...

Having lived many different places, I will say that the water that comes out of the taps here is disgusting. I don't give it to the animals or plants, much less my family. Unfortunately we do have to bathe in it. Bleh ... makes my skin and hair crusty. So I've been experimenting with ways to capture as much of our rain water as possible.

I know, the E.P.A. and Indiana American Water both say the water is safe. Me, I use the old fashioned sniff and taste test. If it tastes and looks skanky, it is skanky. But fortunately we have an alternative. Most of the big old houses pre-1900 in NA were constructed with their own cisterns. We still have ours, though it's just brick and not capable of holding water at present.

ye old cistern, back o' the basement

I've estimated we could store 1000-2000 gals of water in our old cistern, once it's been lined with a plastic tank. The rain from the back 1/2 of our roof area drains to it. It sit's under what is the kitchen, both original and now, so can easily be delivered by pump straight up. According to Ind/American Water, our household uses approx 3000 gallons of water a month.

old cisterns are usually round, like this one.

Not only are we aware of our usage, we have a goal of lowering it over time. Hence the brilliance, once again, of simply reverting to the original water storage system! As water becomes increasingly polluted and the rates rise in a futile attempt to clean and deliver it (remember, Mother Nature bats last), our household will have created it's own fresh water supply. Not to mention saving thousands and thousands of gallons of rainwater from the storm drain system where it overwhelms the sewer lines and spews toxic water in our streets.

If global warming is too abstract a concept for city planners to embrace, then just grasp the issues with safe water looming. Polluted groundwater + antiquated delivery system + increased demand = ?

Weigh in with the state commission who set water rates, or go buy a rain-barrel. Or do both.

"Those who couldn’t make it to the meeting have 10 more days to submit testimony on the matter. Written comments — which will be weighed equally with those delivered orally — can be sent by mail, fax or the Internet. Those comments should include the consumer’s name, mailing address and a reference to IURC Cause No. 43680.

They can be sent to Consumer Services Staff, Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Council, 115 W. Washington St., Suite 1500 South, Indianapolis, IN, 46204; Fax: 317-232-5923; E-mail: uccinfo@oucc.IN.gov" NATribune