Cistern Cleaning and Water Delivery

Homes that run on a cistern

Plenty of rural houses south and east of Hamilton have no well, or a well that gives too little water or water that tastes of sulphur or salt. Those homes store their water in a cistern, a concrete or plastic tank, usually buried or in the basement, that is filled by a bulk water truck or, in some cases, by rainwater from the roof. It is common across Haldimand County, in parts of Glanbrook and Binbrook, around West Lincoln and Smithville and on the upper reaches of Stoney Creek.

A cistern holds your drinking water, so it is a completely separate thing from a septic tank, even if both sit in the yard and both get visited by a truck. This page covers the clean side.

Why cisterns need cleaning

Even when every load is clean municipal water, a cistern collects sediment on the floor over time, and a slimy biofilm forms on the walls. Rainwater-fed cisterns also gather grit, leaves and bird droppings washed off the roof. Over the years that layer can affect taste and smell and give bacteria somewhere to live. Most owners have the cistern cleaned every few years, and sooner if the water looks cloudy, smells off, or a water test comes back with coliforms.

What a cistern cleaning involves

1. Water use is planned around the job, and the cistern is pumped down or allowed to run low.
2. The remaining water and sediment are pumped out.
3. Walls and floor are scrubbed or pressure washed to lift biofilm, and the loosened material is removed.
4. The cistern is checked for cracks, root entry, a loose or poorly sealed lid, and any opening where surface water or animals could get in.
5. The tank is disinfected, usually by shock chlorination, and rinsed as needed.
6. A load of fresh potable water is delivered to refill it.

Some contractors also look at the intake, the house pump and any filters or UV system, or suggest you have the water tested a week or two after refilling.

Bulk water delivery

Water haulers fill their trucks at municipal bulk water stations and deliver to homes on a call-in or regular schedule. Truck sizes vary, but loads in the region of 3,000 to 4,000 imperial gallons (roughly 13,600 to 18,200 litres) are common for residential delivery. If your cistern is smaller than a full load, ask whether a partial load is available or whether timing deliveries closer to empty makes better sense.

How often you need water depends on the size of the cistern and your household. Keep a simple log of delivery dates for a few months and you will know how long a load lasts in summer versus winter.

Keep sewage and drinking water apart

A truck that has ever carried sewage must never be used for drinking water, and a reputable operator would not suggest it. Potable water haulers keep a dedicated tank for drinking water and fill from a treated source. When you book a delivery, it is reasonable to ask where the water is drawn and how the tank is kept clean. Your local public health unit can also give advice on cistern care and water testing.

The contractor we match you with for cistern work is a water hauler or cistern cleaner, not the septic pumper. If you need both services, they will usually be two different companies with two different trucks.

What affects the price

Cleaning cost depends on the cistern’s size, how hard it is to get into (a basement cistern with a small hatch is slower than a buried tank with a big opening), and how much sediment has built up. Delivery cost depends on the volume, the distance from the fill station and sometimes seasonal demand: summer, when wells run low, is the busiest time for water haulers.

Before the visit

• Know roughly how big the cistern is and where the access hatch is.
• Plan for a few hours without running water during the cleaning.
• Store some bottled water for drinking and cooking that day.
• If the cistern is rain-fed, clean the eavestroughs first so the fresh tank is not refouled straight away.

Request a clean or a delivery

Septic Hamilton is a referral service. Send one request, choose cistern cleaning or water delivery, and give the address and approximate cistern size. We pass it to one local water hauler who serves your road, and they call to confirm details and price.