In time, these cisterns are forgotten. Eventually, all traces of old cisterns disappear, especially after property transfers, lawns have covered them over, or construction activities or other camouflage have hidden or obscured them. Many cisterns have become obsolete or abandoned because of electrification and general modernization of homes and installation of water delivery systems. Abandoned cisterns exist in many locations. The most obvious evidence of an abandoned cistern is a heavy, large-diameter lid covering a structure at ground level.
Cisterns often appear as a ring of concrete, tile, bricks, or rocks several feet in diameter.
A depression may suggest that an old cistern was buried. A wet area could indicate that a cistern was not sealed properly. Many cisterns were constructed next to the house or near a well and some were constructed in the basements of homes. Many farmsteads served by rural water have abandoned cisterns. However, many older urban homes may have had a cistern to collect rainwater from roofs for washing clothes or irrigating gardens.