Water & Sanitation › Water Supply

Cistern + Pump in Alberta

Limited — below target · 2 providers

Cistern installation with integrated pump and pressure system.

When to use: Complete water storage and distribution system for a rural property.

Duration: 2–4 days
Typical size: 1,000–10,000 gallons
Permits: May require development permit

Scope of work

Cistern installation
Pump installation
Pressure system
Piping
System testing

How this works in Alberta

A cistern only helps if you can move the water. Pairing tank and pump gives a cabin or thin well a real distribution system.

A cistern-and-pump system is a complete storage and pressure supply. It is common where a well cannot meet peak demand directly or where water is hauled. In the layout the Province describes for low-yield wells, the well pump fills the cistern under the control of a float switch. A second pump, controlled by a pressure switch, moves stored water to the pressure tank when the house needs it. This means the well never has to keep up with peak demand, which protects both the well and the aquifer. Run-dry protection is advised on both pumps.

The cistern itself follows CSA B126 Series-13: watertight, buried below frost or in a heated space, with ground-level access, a sealed lid, a fill port and a screened, vented overflow. The pressure side follows the same rules as any well system. Size the tank so the house pump does not short-cycle, and fit a relief valve if the pump can exceed the tank's rated pressure.

Plan for disinfection from the start. Untreated groundwater stored in a cistern needs a continuous disinfection system. Hauled municipal water needs a free chlorine residual of 0.2 mg/L maintained. If the well fills the cistern, shock chlorinate the well and the cistern once a year.

Typical cost in Alberta

No published price for a complete cistern-and-pump package was found. The rows below price the main components separately.

Item	Range	Source	Type
Cistern, 1,000–10,000 gallons, installed	$5,000–$20,000 installed	Land Intelligence planning estimate (Aug 2026), not a quote	Land Intelligence planning estimate · 2026-08-11
0.5–2 HP submersible pump, installed	$1,500–$5,000 installed	Land Intelligence planning estimate (Aug 2026), not a quote	Land Intelligence planning estimate · 2026-08-11
Pressure tank	$400–$2,500 per tank	Green Building Canada - Water well drilling cost in Canada (commercial, national)	Commercial estimate · 2025-08-13
Electrical work	$500–$1,500 per job	Green Building Canada - Water well drilling cost in Canada (commercial, national)	Commercial estimate · 2025-08-13

Cistern volume and burial, the distance between cistern, well and house, pump type, disinfection equipment and the power supply drive the total. Component prices are not additive quotes.

Ranges are planning figures from the sources shown, not quotes. Get written quotes for your site.

Alberta rules and permits

The cistern must be at least 10 m from a septic tank and 15 m from a septic field, livestock facilities or chemical storage (CSA B126 Series-13). (Working Well, Issue 13 - Maintaining Your Cistern (Government of Alberta))
Cistern water from a low-yield well needs continuous disinfection. Hauled municipal water must keep a free chlorine residual of 0.2 mg/L. (Working Well, Issue 13 - Maintaining Your Cistern (Government of Alberta))
A relief valve should be installed if the pump can generate more pressure than the pressure tank's maximum working pressure. (Alberta Agriculture - Pressure Tanks, Agdex 716(C31))
Electrical work for pumps and controls needs a permit from the accredited municipality or agency where the Safety Codes Act requires one. (Safety Codes Council - Permit Information)

Sizing and planning

A 15,000 L (3,300 imperial gallon) cistern stores enough water for an average household of four for two to three months (Working Well, Issue 13).
Size the pressure tank for no more than 25 pump starts per hour, about 1 gallon of draw-off per 100 gal/hr of pump capacity, with a 42-gallon minimum for normal farm use (Alberta Agriculture, Pressure Tanks).
Set the well-to-cistern pump at or below the well's recommended pumping rate (Working Well, Issue 6).

Alberta providers

2 providers identified. Limited — below target.

Canwest Tanks & Ecological Systems

UNCLAIMED Identified

canwesttanks.com · Calgary, AB

Service area: Alberta

Service area based on publicly available information and/or Land Intelligence research.

L&B Water Services Ltd.

UNCLAIMED Identified

www.lbwaterservices.ca · Parkland County, AB

Service area: Named towns: Edmonton

Service area based on publicly available information and/or Land Intelligence research.

Common questions

Why use a cistern and a second pump instead of pumping straight from the well?

It lets a low-yield well refill storage slowly while the house draws from the cistern at peak times. This avoids over-pumping the well.

Does the water need treatment?

Untreated well water stored in a cistern needs continuous disinfection. Hauled treated water needs a 0.2 mg/L free chlorine residual maintained.

How often should the system be maintained?

Clean the cistern every year and sample it for bacteria one to two times a year. If a well fills it, shock chlorinate the well and the cistern annually.