I found a peculiar underground chamber after a tree fell in my mother-in-law's yard, and I'm looking for some insight. The tree just narrowly missed the house, but in the process, it cracked the ground and revealed a 3-foot square brick chamber with a concrete top. My initial worry was a sinkhole, but everything seems stable. The house is from the 90s, and no records indicate what this could be—city surveys show nothing unusual either. There's no basement, and there's an old, unused oil tank nearby. I'm curious if anyone has an idea what this might be or if we should be worried about possible hazards hidden down there!
3 Answers
Definitely sounds like a cistern to me as well, especially if it’s small. But it could also be an old storm shelter. Either way, you should check with local regulations before digging around, just in case there's something important buried down there.
Everyone's leaning towards septic, but my suggestion would be to make sure it's not something creepy, like from a movie. Maybe just cover it for now while you figure things out, so nothing else falls in!
This could be a septic tank or a cistern. Given the age of the house, I’d bet it’s one of those. Just be careful if you dig it out further; you don't want to cause any more damage or create a safety hazard.