Patent ID: 8297006

Claim:
A foundational cistern capable of supporting a building that is of a larger footprint than that of the cistern comprising a container comprising a base unit and a top cover, said base unit having an opening, four vertical walls, and a floor; and said top cover is independent of the floor of the building and capable of being attached to the subfloor of the building, is of similar shape to fit on top of said base unit; and wherein the base unit and the top cover are manufactured with concrete, the concrete containing reinforcing bars, and the concrete being thicker at the four corners of the base unit and between two of the four corners of the base, and the edges of the top cover also being thickened; wherein the container is capable of supporting the building that imposes static and live loads up to approximately 2,700 pounds per lineal foot of foundation wall perimeter; where one of the four vertical walls has a sealable opening for maintenance of the foundational cistern; the edges of the underside of said top cover having turn down and lintel edges where primary structural building loads are anticipated, and the container may hold a liquid therein.