How I Built a Cheap Water Cistern for Rainwater Storage (Frugal, DIY)
This page documents how I built a low-cost water cistern using scrap materials and simple techniques. This is the second cistern I’ve built this way, and the goal was the same as everything else on my homestead: spend as little as possible, make it last, and improve it later if needed.
Water storage was one of the very first systems I built when I started living off-grid — because without water, nothing else works.
Before building any off-grid system, especially water, it helps to understand how water, shelter, food, and energy fit together. I explain that bigger picture in a free off-grid starter guide below.
This first image shows the lid and vents on my original cistern. It measures roughly 16×6×5 feet, which allows for about 3,600 gallons of water storage. The large vent helps prevent condensation buildup — with enough airflow, mold and other issues aren’t a problem.
I’m sharing this photo because I hadn’t finished the lid on the new cistern yet, and this gives a clear picture of what a completed cistern looks like. This first cistern is located next to my shop and captures rainwater from the roof.
I dug both cisterns by hand. A friend helped with the first couple feet of the second one, but otherwise this was all manual work. I try to stay as frugal as possible while building systems that will work reliably for years.
I came out here with very little, and by the time I need to upgrade this system, I’ll be able to afford to do so.
This image is from the first cistern. You can see the simple vinyl liner laid directly inside the hole. In that build, I didn’t place a liner between the timber and the cistern walls. I later sprayed the timber with enamel cistern paint, which worked fine.
For the second cistern, I added a liner between the timber and the soil so I wouldn’t need to paint later. It’s a cleaner and longer-lasting approach.
Quick Note
A cistern is often one of the first off-grid systems people build — but it shouldn’t be the only thing you plan. Understanding what to build first (and what to delay) can save a lot of time and money.
In the new cistern, I laid a white vinyl liner inside the hole, then added a brown liner over the top. Timber was used to pin everything in place while working around the perimeter.
Once the second liner was pinned down, I filled in the gaps so the entire top of the cistern is covered in timber except for a manhole. This allows me to climb inside for cleaning or repairs if needed.
The liners should last around 10 years once buried. Any overflow is directed into swales that lead around my property to a pond and orchard.
I was able to order enough billboard vinyl liners to line both cisterns and my pond for under $200 total — roughly 11,000 gallons of rainwater storage.
This approach may not make sense to everyone, but when you’re building a homestead on a tight budget, spending very little for a solid head start often makes the most sense. During monsoon season, both the cistern and pond filled overnight.
Final Thought
A cheap cistern is a smart move — but it’s only one part of a functional off-grid setup. Understanding how systems work together helps avoid costly mistakes later.
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This video walks through the build in more detail.
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2 comments
Thanks for sharing, Maurice. They really work great and I expect they’ll hold up for a long time. It really wouldn’t be a big deal to tear up the timber and liners and do it again in 5 to 10 years. I’ll see what happens when I get there. For now I’m grateful to have large water storage with redundant systems.
It’s brilliant John.
I’ve positioned myself over the years so that I do have the money to do things. But that certainly isn’t where my wife and I started, so we like to do as much as we can with what’s available before throwing cash at it.
The details and experience that you share are really valuable.
Thank you