This didactic material STEP BY STEP on the construction of plate tanks is the result of the joint work between the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), and the Articulation of the Semi-Arid Brazilian (ASA Brazil).  The document presents the outcomes of the construction of the plate tanks workshop that took place in Cruz del Eje (Argentina) in October 2013. The objective of this document is to support technicians and development institutions working for the promotion of alternatives to improve access to water for rural families.

The cistern is a structure that allows storing rainwater available to cover the needs of the family throughout the year and applicable for different uses. The technical material describes in a didactic way the process of building a cistern step by step, including the needed materials and operations.

During this process, one hundred ferro-cement tanks were built and put into operation in the province of Córdoba (Argentina), with capacities ranging from five thousand to 20 thousand liters.