How do you say CISTERNA in English?

Don't worry. It's only a dilapidated cistern, not the entrance to Hell. 

The spelling is quite similar actually - CISTERN.
We can also call it a WATER TANK or a WATER RESERVOIR. 
There are several types of CISTERNS, but perhaps the most common one in Ecuador, and more specifically GUAYAQUIL, is the UNDERGROUND CISTERN. 
Our CISTERNS are usually built underground because it is homeowners who require this specific facility (an underground CISTERN is desirable because it saves up space and has a minimum aesthetic impact). Modern houses do not require CISTERNS since the water service is much better these days. The same cannot be said about the quality of the same service in the past. That just had no name.

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