[SvilleKid]

Not a contractor, but I see a lot of water infiltration problems in basements of houses I appraise. Hydrostatic pressure is very strong. Patching the inside crack almost never works, the water will just find another path if you block it's current path from the inside. I hate to say it, but the only sure repair is from the inside of the cistern. However, there are a couple of products that are made for concrete pools that allow patching without draining the water, and should also be safe for the water quality. Might require some constructive diving if the cistern is deep and the crack is way down!

I have a cellar under my house with concrete floors and cinder block walls. When we have extended periods of heavy rain, I get seeps into the cellar and require a pump to remove the water. The walls and floors have been treated with several products, but the water always seem to find another way in. The only cure will require french-drains installed around the outside of the cinderblock walls, but that area is all under the crawl space part of the house, and would be back-breaking work. Because of that, I have tried most products over the last 20+ years, and still have leaks. I wish I could offer you some hope. Maybe a contractor that deals with waterproofing will have a workable suggestion. But I think a true fix is going to require addressing the problem from the inside of the cistern.