Rainwater Harvesting System fully operational at Fresh Milk Farm in Thessaly, Greece

An innovative rainwater harvesting system, designed and constructed by HYDRASPIS, has been successfully implemented at the Fresh Milk cattle farm in Thessaly, Greece, within the framework of the AquaLoops4Med project. The system has been fully operational since February 2026, representing an important step towards improving water circularity and sustainable water management in livestock farming.

The system combines two rainwater collection approaches. The first subsystem collects rainwater from the rooftop of the farm’s warehouse (approximately 550 m²). A gutter mesh was installed to limit contamination by filtering leaves and debris from the collected runoff. The harvested water then passes through a first-flush diverter and is subsequently directed to the second subsystem. The latter is a novel, nature-inspired subsurface rainwater harvesting collector (50 m²), which also captures direct rainfall. The collector consists of layered materials including gravel, geotextile and geomembrane, combined with perforated drainage pipes that enable efficient water collection.

The harvested rainwater is transferred to flexible storage tanks, where it is stored and subsequently reused on-site, primarily for the irrigation of cattle feed crops and to cover other non-potable water needs of the farm, reducing its dependence on conventional freshwater resources and improving resilience during periods of water scarcity.

Installation of gutter systems for rainwater collection from the rooftop of the warehouse at the Fresh Milk dairy farm.

Construction works of the nature-inspired subsurface rainwater harvesting collector at the Fresh Milk dairy farm.

Installation of flexible storage tanks at the Fresh Milk dairy farm.

To support real-time monitoring of the system, sensors will be installed by AGENSO to monitor both the quantity and quality of the harvested rainwater. In parallel, the NTUA team has already conducted the first sampling campaign for the physicochemical analysis of the collected rainwater.

The implementation of the rainwater harvesting system demonstrates how nature-based solutions and innovative water management approaches can support the transition towards more sustainable and climate-resilient agri-food systems.

Rainwater harvesting system fully operational at the Fresh Milk dairy farm.