Home builders are looking to utilise every inch of space as builds get tighter. Waterwall has entered the scene as an amazing option, for more reasons than one…
Australia’s drought cycle is back on the boil.
Forecasts point to hotter summers, tighter water restrictions and growing pressure on municipal supplies.
For tradies, builders or landscapers, this presents a challenge but also an opportunity: how to help customers future-proof their homes and developments without sacrificing precious space or aesthetics.
This is where the Thirdspace Waterfall is redefining the game, and in doing so, reshaping how urban Australia captures, stores and shares water.
Dodge drought
Droughts and water restrictions aren’t new obstacles for ressie builds, but as urban areas get denser and regional centres grow larger, new solutions are needed.
Traditional backyard and underground tanks have long been the default solution for rainwater harvesting.
But in dense urban and suburban environments, they come with compromises.
They take up loads of precious outdoor space, are often difficult to retrofit, and a typical 3,000-litre tank simply doesn’t hold enough water to comfortably carry a typical family through the Australian summer.
The Waterwall tackles this problem head-on by shifting water storage to the boundary.
Using an ultra-slim profile — just 300mm deep — each Waterwall panel stores up to 1,200 litres while doubling as a regulation-height boundary fence.
Former Channel NINE weather presenter and geomorphologist Rob Gell AM is one of Waterwall’s biggest fans.
“Water is precious, as is the space around us,” he said.
“We’ve designed a water tank that won’t take up your valuable outdoor space.
“You can save water for your garden, or flushing toilets, but you don’t have this big, bulky tank in your garden.”
Installed along a fence line, the system delivers an unmatched volume-to-footprint ratio, freeing up yards, courtyards and side passages for actual living.
For tradies, this means more space for patios, pergolas or other alternatives where conventional tanks won’t fit or don’t make sense.
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For landscapers, it means reclaiming space for gardens, displays and usable ‘third spaces’ without compromising water security.
From a fencing point of view, Fencing Industry Australia General Manager Steve Mazur said the Waterwall provided an entirely new opportunity when it comes to boundaries.
“Every property has a fence, and there are many different types of fencing that need to blend into their surroundings,” he said.
“The added bonus here is water conservation, which can then be reused. That’s a big plus.
“From a contractor’s perspective, they’re also always looking to diversify the types of fencing solutions they can offer their customers, so new products like this are something we’re always interested in.”
Urban reservoir
The Waterwall isn’t just a cool new product to sell new home owners — it’s part of a bigger picture.
The vision is to build the world’s first urban water reservoir, where neighbours can trade and share water within their estate.
Unlike your regular tanks that collect from a single roof area, the Waterwall can integrate multiple water inputs across a property.
Roof catchments feed directly into primary wall sections via gravity, requiring only 300mm of static head.
Once full, excess water can overflow into secondary systems such as ground filtration, wetlands, surface storage or stormwater — keeping water within the local environment for longer.
“Harvesting rainwater saves money and can make your home environment more resilient to rising costs and extreme weather,” Rob explained.
“The Waterwall allows any size property to store water in a modern, innovative way, including on a property boundary as a fence line.
“Our smart controls allow you to monitor water levels, control pumps and sprinklers, and even trade water with your neighbourhood to keep everything green water wall.
“It’ll redefine how we store and use water.”
Neighbours can choose to split costs, share storage, or even daisy-chain panels to create what’s effectively a ‘water battery’ running the length of multiple properties.
For builders and developers, particularly in estates, townhouses, retirement living or multi-dwelling projects, this opens the door to decentralised, community-scale water storage — reducing pressure on public reservoirs while giving residents direct control over their own supply.
Space-saving by design
The first objective of the Waterwall is simple: create space.
By replacing a standard fence or bulky tank, the system pushes storage to the perimeter, releasing usable outdoor area.
This is a game-changer for small blocks, narrow side setbacks and urban infill projects where every square metre counts.
Each panel measures 2466mm long, 1800mm high and weighs just 100kg empty.
When full, the system weighs approximately 1.3 tonnes, which is why proper engineering and footing design are essential. Installed correctly, however, the Waterwall provides robust, long-term storage.
For tradies, this makes it a practical solution across a wide range of sites — from tight residential lots to commercial and industrial applications such as nurseries, schools or business parks where scalable water volume is critical.
Simon Sutton is the owner of Simply Timber and Roofing Building Supplies in Kinglake, Victoria.
He’s been showcasing the Waterwall in his showroom, and services a variety of customers from builders or landscapers to the homeowners themselves.
“The footprint would be the biggest thing,” he said.
“It’s ideal for smaller areas — smaller yards, medium-density living, that sort of thing.
“You can put it straight up against a fence, and it takes up virtually no room at all.”
Sam Kirkby of Plateau Landscape Supplies also showcases the Waterwall at his showrooms.
“Many residents and tradies across the Northern Rivers and Southern QLD are very eco-conscious and artistic when building outdoor spaces, the Waterwall encourages creative solutions whilst tackling the big problem of water storage in confined spaces,” he said.
Plumber Richard Knight has been on the tools for about 33 years. Based in Newtown, he appreciates the importance of space in residential areas.
“In inner suburbs … everyone’s struggling for space,” he said.
“It’s a really good product for that. You just have to put a bit more thought into it than a standard water tank, but as a finished product, it’s fantastic.
Even on a larger scale, the Waterwall has potential.
Mod.IC Construction Manager Jackson Leigh does a lot of work in the intelligent construction space.
He viewed the Waterwall as a great option for larger sites when it comes to saving space.
“We worked on a site for MyCar. On that project, we installed a 25,000-litre underground water tank, and that alone cost thousands of dollars,” he said.
“Once you start digging, you introduce a lot of unknowns — soil conditions, safety requirements, engineering complications.
“We liked the idea of substituting an underground tank with a Waterwall because it removes so many of those variables.”
Build the dream third space
Beyond water storage, the Waterwall creates something most homeowners are keen on: functional outdoor spaces.
The system’s mass provides sound-deadening benefits, helping to buffer noise from neighbours or streets.
Plug-in accessory rails allow clients to hang vertical gardens, ornaments, lighting or artwork, transforming a once-static fence line into a living design feature.
With colour options including Slate, Sandstone, Granite, Ochre, Jade and Bluestone, the system integrates easily into contemporary Australian landscapes.
Flexible and modular
The Waterwall are designed to be modular and adaptable. Panels can be connected in series, isolated with ball valves, or repositioned if site layouts change.
Plumbing can run around corners and complex boundaries, making the system well suited to irregular blocks.
Each panel includes 1-inch female threaded brass fittings at both ends, allowing straightforward interconnection using poly pipe or hoses.
A 12V pump manages water distribution, and the system can be expanded over time as needs grow.
For tradies, this flexibility means the Waterwall can be staged into projects, upsold in future, or tailored to suit budget and site constraints — without locking clients into a single fixed solution.
Customise away!
The Waterwall has been designed as a modular platform, with customisation built into every section.
Each panel features 33 integrated attachment points on both sides, allowing tradies, landscapers and designers to tailor the system to suit site conditions, aesthetics and functional requirements.
On-wall cladding can be fixed directly to the panels to maintain a consistent architectural finish or introduce additional functionality.
Cladding systems can support vertical gardens, planting modules or water features such as ponds and fountains, all supplied from the stored water within the wall itself.
A growing range of on-wall accessories expands the system even further.
These include blockout lattice panels for privacy, water misting systems for outdoor cooling and fire protection, vertical garden supports, integrated lighting, and mounting options for solar panels and battery storage.
Together, these customisable options allow the Waterwall to be easily configured how your customer wants it whether it’s a privacy screen, living wall, service corridor or landscape feature.
Built for Aussie conditions
Every Waterwall is manufactured in Australia using potable water-grade polyethylene. Recycled plastics are progressively incorporated into production, with the long-term goal of removing waste plastics from unsustainable lifecycles and remanufacturing them into durable, regenerative infrastructure.
The result is a single-formed, ultra-strong panel backed by a 20-year warranty — built to withstand harsh Australian conditions while supporting a circular economy.
Installation: Tradies! Listen up
While the Waterwall simplifies water storage, installation and engineering considerations must be taken seriously.
Concrete footings are mandatory: a minimum of 750mm deep x 400mm inline x 600mm wide.
Posts are locked in using plastic brackets supplied with each panel, ensuring stability when the system is full.
The base must sit evenly on ground, pavers or compacted sand to prevent uneven load distribution.
Plumbing requirements depend on usage.
Garden-only systems can often be installed without a licensed plumber.
Richard first came across the Waterwall working on a job for longtime customer Theresa, and had some handy tips when it came to installing it.
“It was a bit new to me,” he said.
“What we ended up doing was setting the posts into the ground with concrete while the Waterwall was in place.
“We then lifted the Waterwall on props within the posts — because it slides down between them — and poured the slab with formwork around it.
“We let that cure for a couple of days, removed the formwork, and then slid the Waterwall back down onto the pad.
“So technically, we installed the Waterwall before the slab. It took a bit of thinking, but it actually worked really well.”
As the Waterwall expands, Steve said having an industry-recognised accredited installer program would be huge for its adoption by tradespeople.
“It would be a big benefit,” he said.
“It allows the product developers to be confident the system is installed correctly. Installation is one of the biggest challenges in the fencing industry because, while there are product standards, there aren’t always clear installation standards.
“If product developers can help establish installation standards, we can then educate the industry to follow them.
“That way, everyone wins: the product performs as intended, installers know exactly what’s required, and the end user benefits from a correct, compliant installation.”
The fence line, reimagined
As drought tightens its grip and urban density increases, the way Australia thinks about water storage needs to change.
The Waterwall offers a compelling alternative: high-volume storage, minimal footprint, and the ability to share water across communities.
For Australian tradies, builders and landscapers, it’s more than a product to install — it’s a system to build around.
One that helps clients dodge drought, reclaim space, and join a growing Urban Reservoir Movement shaping the future of water-smart living.
“Space is everything. You’ve got to build a fence anyway, so why not combine the two?,” Jackson said.
“That’s something we really liked — the idea of the Waterwall being part tank, part fence, and part screening solution.
“We see it as dynamic enough to work across different project types — whether that’s commercial developments like MyCar or Hungry Jack’s sites, or even modular housing developments.
“In some cases, it could be the difference between a project stacking up financially or not.”