Affordable Rain Water System For Developing Nations Challenge: $15,000 For Winning Solution

EnterpriseWorks/VITA (EWV), an international non-profit organization, announces a collaborative effort with InnoCentive, Inc. to solve an issue affecting affordable access to clean water in developing countries. EWV has posted a Challenge on InnoCentive’s web site seeking design ideas for a low-cost rain water storage system that can be installed in households.

The solution is expected to facilitate access to clean water at a household level, addressing a problem that affects millions of people worldwide who are living in impoverished communities or rural areas where access to clean water is limited. Domestic rain water harvesting is a proven technology that can be a valuable option for accessing and storing water year round. However, the high cost of available rain water storage systems makes them well beyond the reach of low-income families to install at their homes.

Challenge Highlights: A $15,000 Award for the Best Solution

The Challenge is looking for a product that can be developed and installed for less than $20 without subsidy and has a storage capacity of 500 liters. Designs that are easily adaptable and serve multiple functions are preferred. Initially the solution will be implemented on a pilot scale in a developing country where there is a significant need for clean water and where the market, environmental, and policy conditions are favorable for large-scale deployment of rain water harvesting by households.

The Challenge offers a $15,000 award to the Solver that provides the best solution.

The Challenge is now posted on InnoCentive until January 12, 2009 and can be found here.

Interested Solvers can also access the Challenge on InnoCentive by visiting the Clean Tech and Renewable Energy and Global Health pavilions.

Designing a low-cost rain water storage system is the latest addition to a growing list of Challenges posted on InnoCentive that address social, economic and humanitarian problems worldwide.