06/01/2026
Free Rainwater Planters Exclusively for Residents of Ringsend and Irishtown, Co. Dublin
PACE is now manufacturing rainwater planters as part of a unique project that has been commissioned by environmental and social enterprise Understory.
Residents can apply for a free specialised rainwater planter made from recycled composite plastic, galvanised steel and aluminum (91cm long x 86cm tall x 51cm wide). Please note thaty plants are not included.
Contact Understory at [email protected] or
visit the webiste at www.understory.ie/planter-project
for further information, check eligibility and to apply for your free planter.
This project is helping to:
- Reduce pressure on local sewage systems by utilising storm rainwater and consequently reduce pollution of the sea.
- Enhance your connection to nature and gain an opportunity for gardening and mindfulness.
- Create natural habitats and attract pollinators & biodiversity and brighten hard urban landscapes with self-sustainable greenery.
- Contribute to research on rainwater retention planters as a water management nature-based solution.
Join this exciting community project and take part in raising awareness of actions we can all take to make our neighbourhoods greener and more resilient to the changing climate!
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BACKGROUND
The Rainwater Planter project currently focusses on the Ringsend and Irishtown area of Dublin which has a combined sewerage system where foul drainage and surface water enter the same pipes through which they are transported to the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant.
Heavy rainfall in the area often results in surface flooding and excess stormwater entering the combined sewer network. This extra volume of water causes the system to become overburdened and results in overflow (of untreated water) from the wastewater treatment plant directly into the sea.
The goal of this project is to reduce surface flooding and overflow into the sewer network - and thereby the level of pollutants entering the sea - by using the planters to capture rainwater from house roofs and slowing down its rate of entry into the sewerage system.
The planters are constructed using galvanised, powdercoated steel, 90% recycled plastic panelling and an aluminium sump.They sturdy metal-framed boxes are are just under one meter high and are filled with soil, gravel, compost and plants.
They are attached, using rainwater diverter mechanisms, to domestic downpipes. Rainwater flow is slowed significantly as the water drains through the soil and exits via a small outflow hole in the bottom of the planter.
The rainwater will also be (naturally) used by the plants whose roots will help keep the soil in place.The planters have been designed in conjunction with project partners Understory, Trinity College Dublin, The Rivers Trust, The Local Authority Waters Programme and Ringsend & Irishtown Tidy Towns & Environment.
Dublin Ringsend Rainwater Retention Planter Project
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