Addressing global water scarcity

July 2023 marks the second anniversary of Cummins Water Works (CWW) and the many initiatives it has supported all over the globe! The $13 million program was created to strengthen communities and address the global water crisis through improved water quality and accessibility. CWW was also established to produce net water benefits that exceed Cummins Inc’s annual water use in all Cummins regions by 2030 and Cummins communities by 2050. The results to date prove CWW efforts have made significant impacts in not only the communities where Cummins has a presence but the world at large. 

Did you know?

785 million people lack access to basic drinking water, that’s 1 in 10 people. And, 4.2 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services, that’s 1 in 4 people lacking access to a toilet. Cummins and its many partners in the CWW efforts are working hard to empower these people – and our world. In 2022, Cummins reached an impressive 5.9 billion gallons of Annual Water Benefits and CWW has expanded its reach to include 11 countries, including: Brazil, Chile, China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom and the U.S.

What a difference two years has made

There are many noteworthy CWW projects to highlight in looking over the past two years. From oyster reef restoration helping filter water in Louisiana’s gulf region to improving water quality by re-introducing Kidney Shell Mussels in the Midwest U.S. to creating low-cost loan programs in India enabling families to install tap and toilet facilities in their homes, CWW is making great progress in addressing world water issues. 

“Cummins employees have been committed to sustainable water projects for many years,” says Scott Saum, Program Manager for Cummins Water Works. “However, the establishment of CWW has brought about partnerships with leading water experts like Water.org, The Nature Conservancy and many others that provide greater opportunity to collaborate, invest and engage in large-scale, high-impact water projects around the world.” 

The benefits of working together

Supported by Cummins, its partners and employees, here are more of the many projects that have come to life through the efforts of Cummins Water Works!

• In partnership with Water.org, CWW launched an education program targeting 7- to 13- year olds in Brazil, teaching them about the importance of sanitation and clean water to public health. One of the bigger efforts took place in Guarulhos, Brazil, near Sao Paolo, the largest city in Brazil, where Water.org partnered with Trata Brasil, a public interest organization dedicated to improving sanitation. 18 learning sessions in three public schools were held to reach 1,200 students, 5 to 10 years of age, promoting environmental education through playful actions that focus on water supply and sanitary sewage. The impact is not only with the students but also school professionals, the school community and the student’s parents.
• Through its operations in Mexico, Cummins is partnered with 50 Liter Home in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, to address water scarcity in long-term and short-term capacities. In the interim, this partnership is looking to bring water and water filtration infrastructure to Los Kilometros in Mexico and Las Colonias in El Paso, on the outskirts of both cities, as well as provide rain gardens and community-based, green infrastructure. The plan is to create long-lasting impact by bringing key stakeholders from both sides of the boarder together to create a water observatory and promote water conservation through efficient agriculture practices.
• Earlier this year Cummins announced a partnership with Asociación Micorriza in Guadelajara, Spain (pictured above). This project will preserve water-linked ecosystems at the Molina-Alto Tajo Geopark in Guadalajara. The work will include the protection of indigenous workfront vegetation, restore river basins and wetland areas, as well as preserve critical habitat ecosystems.
• In South Africa, Cummins Corporate Responsibility leaders along with over 100 employees recently participated in a river clean-up with Hennops River Revival. The team was able to collect 933 bags of waste from areas impacted by river flooding. Waste collected included: tires, diapers, plastic bags, basins, clothes and thousands of single-use, plastic containers. With it being one of the largest clean-up events held by Cummins’ Africa/Middle East Region, all involved were thrilled with the result.
• CWW’s partnership with The Nature Conservancy has also worked to educate and encourage Midwestern farmers to implement conservation practices that reduce fertilizer runoff into waterways to eliminate the hypoxic (dead) zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The excess nutrients trigger algae blooms, which remove oxygen from the water and make it difficult or impossible for marine life to survive.

Involvement is key

Cummins continues its journey to demonstrate its commitment to being good water stewards, consistent with the company’s overall mission of making people’s lives better by powering a more prosperous world. 

Would you like to know more about CWW’s efforts and help with water scarcity in the world? Get involved now!