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Cistern
Waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the underground reservoir. For other uses, see Cistern (disambiguation).
A cistern (from Middle English cisterne; from Latin cisterna, from cista 'box'; from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē) 'basket'[1]) is a space excavated in bedrock or soil designed for catching and storing water.[2][3] To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster.[3]
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Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings. Modern cisterns range in capacity from a few litres to thousands of cubic metres, effectively forming covered reservoirs.[4]