Which cold water system uses a cold water storage cistern?

• A. Indirect
• B. Direct
• C. Semi-direct
• D. Direct feed only

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that an indirect cold water system relies on a cold water storage cistern. In this setup, water from the mains fills a storage tank (usually in a loft), and the taps and outlets are fed from that stored water, either by gravity or with a pump. This storage creates a reservoir that provides pressure to the fixtures and helps regulate supply, independent of moment-to-moment mains pressure.

Direct systems, by contrast, feed taps directly from the mains with no storage tank, so there is no cold water storage cistern involved. Semi-direct and direct feed-only arrangements differ in how they use or bypass storage, but the defining feature for using a cold storage cistern is the indirect system.