[Greenbuilding] cistern questions

[Sacie Lambertson]

All, we have been thinking for a long time now about adding a 3-seasons
room to our house.  Given the extreme drought we currently experiencing,
I've had some not-so-idle thoughts about putting a cistern under it when we
do.  I have several question about this possibility and wonder if
structural-knowledgeable
people on this list could respond please.

1.  Cisterns in this area are built by the same people who do septic tanks,
ie of concrete.  Could I use such a tank to support a room above?

2.  Our house is on a gentle slope; the end of this addition will be about 3-4
feet above grade.  If we put the overflow drain lower than the top, do I
need to worry about insulating the walls of a cistern? ie there would be
room for expansion.  Freezing is normal in our NE Kansas winters.

Our current in-ground cistern, 1800 gallons, filled up after only a 1.5
inch rain.  Our many shed roofs drain to it.  We would divert one these to
the new cistern, plus that of the room above.   A new cistern would not
have as large a drain plane as the existing one, but a couple good rains
would undoubtedly fill up too.

Thanks,  Sacie
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