9' catch basin?

[Markus Keller]

Yesterdays inspection, (I try not to work on sundays) 100 year old house with a 9' diameter x 5' deep 'catch basin'
I don't think it is actually a catch basin. I'm thinking more it was some sort of old cistern maybe.
- The bottom is higher than the basement
- I couldn't see any in/out pipes at/near the bottom
All I found was one 4" pipe coming in towards the top. Maybe they used to run the downspouts into it, maybe it was an old sewer basin 100 years ago that got pumped out annually, I just don't know. It is big. You could put a lot of bodes in there.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks Markus

[Jim Luttrall]

Sounds like a fresh water cistern used to catch roof runoff for domestic needs.
Report what you saw, any deficiencies, or possible dangers.
I found one by accident while crawling along on my belly in the dark crawl space, but it was much deeper an larger and the top was low enough to have fallen in, kind of a "WHOA!" moment.

[Gunnar Alquist]

Well, you are in the '20s gangster area. Bodies sounds about right. Maybe it's another of Capone's vaults and you should call Geraldo? ;)

[David Banks]

I would say Jim has it right.