Rainwater is buffered and reused on site, easing tap water use and pressure on sewers during peaks.
Oude Vismijn collects the rainwater that falls on the building via a dedicated buffering system instead of sending it straight into the sewers. The buffer captures and stores incoming rainwater, smoothing out peaks during heavy rainfall, and from there the water is reused on site for non-potable applications such as flushing toilets and outdoor cleaning. In this way, rainwater is treated as a useful resource rather than a waste flow, and tap water from the public network is only used where it is actually needed.
Sustainability added value: Buffering and reusing rainwater directly reduces the consumption of tap water at the venue, while lowering the volume of water that needs to be pumped, treated, and distributed by the public network. By holding back rainfall peaks and releasing the water gradually, the buffer relieves the local sewage system during heavy rain, when overloaded mixed sewers risk overflows of untreated wastewater into the surrounding waterways. Together, these effects cut the environmental footprint of water use at the venue and embed water as a circular resource within the daily operation.