There are actually three cisterns along the aqueduct designed to purify the water on its route guaranteeing a fast and controlled distribution at the final destination: Cisternino di Pian di Rota, Cisternone and Cisternino.

They were constructed between 1829 and 1848 in a neoclassical style. Cisternino (the Little Cistern), though it was intended as a part of a complex system of purification plants and storage tanks, never came into use. It currently houses a venue for cultural activities and, on the lower floor, a theatre. Cisternone (the Big Cistern) is one of the more important examples in Italy of neoclassical building and it can be found on one of the main vias that leads to Piazza della Repubblica. The interior is surprisingly captivating, surrounded by pillars and ribbed vaults. At the bottom of the tank is a half-hidden inscription as a reminder of Leopold's grand aqueduct project connecting Colognole with Livorno.