Here in America our gutters often represent a “honey-do” chore that we’d rather not think about unless we have to. But in six Indian villages gutters have ensured safe water by providing rainwater capture systems.

These villages had no running water, poor sanitation, no ground water and no surface water. Women would walk four hours a day or more just to fetch safe drinking water, bringing it back to the family.

Rain was the only other source of water, but there were few ways to harness it effectively until an engineer named Bhagwati Agrawal helped the villagers build and use rainwater systems. The video below provides a nice shot of the gutters that are now installed and in use.

Agrawal also installed faucets. Between the two systems each village now has plenty of safe water. Water security is leading to greater economic security as the women are now free to pursue a job or an education which can help lift their families out of poverty. Without these systems, water had to be their first priority.

Agrawal is one of 5 winners of the Encore.org “Purpose Prize.” The award was an $100,000 cash prize which was invested back into his project. You can read more about the other winners here.

Sometimes big problems require very simple solutions, along with the will and the funds to execute those solutions. Here in America rainwater harvesting is still a nice, optional way to help out the environment. In other parts of the world, however, it represents an incredible technological development that helps people lead better lives.

We’re betting nobody ever complains about cleaning those gutters!

Rain Control Gutters is a trusted Tampa Bay Area gutter contractor serving areas such as St. Petersburg, Largo, and Clearwater as well as the city of Tampa itself. Call us today for a free estimate on new gutters, gutter repairs, or gutter guards.