Making an old water, cistern safe by collapsing the lid and backfilling it. #HandsomeOrHandy 

[Resonantfate]

One thing - make sure the bottom of the cistern is compromised sufficiently. Else you have the same dangerous quicksand type phenomenon where you fill in a swimming pool with dirt and it's fine until it rains enough. Then it's deadly.

[snowdogs]

Oh man, this person couldve had their own eel pit! Their loss.

[UltraMagaFan]

That mini wheel loader is sweet. I didn’t know they made ones that were that small.

[paulkube]

Happened to me on an addition foundation. Midway thru footer excavation, hit an abandoned steel cistern. Tore off the top w/the backhoe and filled with 2-B stone. No worries

[vadimm]

Step cistern, what are you doing down there?

[handsomehandyman]

In my experience, uncontrolled fill is not the right way of doing things. Always compact the material. You could probably get away with pea gravel without compaction and cap it with a couple inches of dirt.

[Hale]

Dude, it could have been a cool hideout

[sinisterdeer]

Dude that little front loader is awesome

[gibblespascack]

Why not pack in between lifts? Or does that still require you to come back in the spring?

[jmackinjersey]

Pro tip from an Operating Engineer. When using the excavator, Always place the blade Behind you when you are digging and especially when using the jack hammer attachment. It gives you way more leverage for digging and all other downward pressure (pecker). You can also place your machine closer to the area you are digging in and you can see a lot better and you can curl the bucket more and not have to move the machine as often.

[DangerRanger]

That’s about how long those Chinese tools and equipment lasts lol

[lokichoki_]

You can absolutely soak newly filled holes with a hose if possible and that fresh backfill will sink right on down

[samthekashman]

A lid would’ve made it safer too. Could’ve been a bunker or storage or an eel pit or rainwater collection I don’t waste holes

[jmackinjersey]

Another tip is to not just fill in the hole. You need to place it in the hole in 6 to 8 inch lifts and compact each lift as you place the material. This will stop you from needing to return or add a ton more material later on.

[kellysledge]

We have to fill them with gravel where I live.

[proofHam]

There’s this guy on YT that goes by the name CowTurtle and he turned his cistern into a giant tank for all sorts of different fish. It’s super cool!

[SlackerU]

In my State you're not suppose to use any backfill that has any pieces larger than 3 inches in size. So you would not be allowed to leave the broken lid in the tank, nor any of that organic debris. I think the rules are b/c rats & things make homes under the debris.

[setoman]

Wtf do you need to call all the companies for? You’re just filling a hole.

[Wolfstanus]

Could have converted it to cellar. You also filled it with large chunks of concrete that aren't laying flat. They will make large airpockets that the dirt will not fill for a very very long time. Meaning the ground could collapse and become a sink hole

[RoberinoSERE]

I would have wanted that cistern, with a new cap of coarce, to channel my gutter water and any other surface water for summer irrigation.