Wilo Ireland: Combat water woes with rainwater harvesting

The building services industry is being encouraged to combat increasingly common water shortages by adopting rainwater harvesting systems in new builds and commercial developments.

The callout comes from Wilo Ireland after 03 March 2026 was named as Ireland’s first entirely dry day since December (Ireland’s Weather Channel).

Despite this, 2025 was named the second-warmest year on record in Ireland (Met Éireann Annual Climate Statement for 2025), highlighting how extreme weather is quickly becoming the norm. Last year, Uisce Éireann also implemented hosepipe bans in several areas.

With a critical need for decentralised water resilience, Wilo is urging stakeholders across the built environment to proactively integrate rainwater harvesting into building design and operation.

“Rainwater is a resource, not a runoff problem,” says Richard Swinburne, Managing Director at Wilo Ireland. “By capturing and reusing rainwater, buildings can significantly reduce reliance on mains water, ease pressure on local infrastructure and contribute to long-term water security.

“Current infrastructure relies too heavily on centralised treatment and outdated drainage systems, contributing to storm overflows, water waste and environmental degradation. By comparison, rainwater harvesting reduces demand on mains water for non-potable uses, such as toilet flushing, irrigation and cleaning – regardless of unpredictable rainfall patterns. It also provides stormwater attenuation, easing pressure on combined sewers and alleviating flood risk.”

To encourage adoption, Wilo has developed solutions scalable for every development. Its AF 400 system, designed for large buildings and commercial sites, offers a 400-litre hybrid tank that can be connected to the mains water system, making it ideal for high-occupancy buildings like apartments, student accommodation and offices.

For residential schemes, it also offers compact systems, such as the Wilo-RAIN1, that integrate with existing plumbing and help meet water efficiency targets.

Richard adds: “The increased investment in Ireland’s water and wastewater infrastructure has been well documented in recent months, though it is crucial that an application as simple yet so beneficial as rainwater harvesting is not overlooked.

“Decision makers have an open goal to prepare for future water stress by embedding rainwater harvesting systems into their developments. It is low-carbon, low-cost and high-impact – and it’s ready to scale now with solutions already on the market.”

 Discover more about Wilo solutions by visiting https://wilo.com/ie