Before municipal plumbing service and modern appliances, older homes would often have separate structures for water, toilets and cold storage of food. Make careful note of these elements in and around heritage buildings, and deal with them accordingly to make them safe.

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• Cellars: Many older buildings have spaces that are somewhere between a basement and a crawlspace called 'cellars'. Sometimes, there will be cold storage for food or appliances like boilers, tanks and furnaces. NOTE: Cellars may be sources of dampness and soil gases like radon.
• Wells: To access ground water and collect rainwater, some properties will dig wells deep into the ground. The wells may have large openings, big enough for a person to fit into. These well openings must be securely covered and/or filled in if they are not in use.
• Cisterns: Some heritage buildings may have large vats to collect rainwater - these 'cisterns' could be used in times of drought to supplement water supply. A cistern might be located below ground outside of a building or in the cellar space. Without proper water purification, old cisterns should not be used.
• Privys / Outhouses: Before indoor plumbing, the household would use an outdoor toilet called a 'privy' or 'outhouse'. These buildings were small and cold, and were sometimes moved around, requiring holes dug out and filled as needed. The ground around these old structures may not be stable - take precautions to remove and fill in outhouse pits properly.