Sustainable water, stronger communities: Cummins’ commitment to WASH

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) play an important role in communities around the world. WASH is one of the pillars of the Cummins Water Works program, which seeks to strengthen communities through sustainable water.

Worldwide, 4.2 billion people live without "safely managed sanitation" and around 673 million people practice open defecation ^[1]. In observance of World Toilet Day on November 19, Cummins Inc. continues to partner with leading nonprofits to tackle the global sanitation crisis around the world.

• Since 2021, Cummins has partnered with Water.org to provide people living in poverty with access to affordable financing to implement water and hygiene infrastructure. The partnership includes projects in India, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines, and has helped change more than 1.4 million lives with improved water and sanitation.
• Cummins has joined with Americares in Barranquilla, Colombia, to improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene at five partner schools.
• In Nigeria, Cummins is partnering with WaterAid in Lagos and Abuja to build restroom and water facilities at partner schools and communities. These efforts are estimated to affect over 185,000 people, providing water supply for about 11,000, sanitation for 6,500, and hygiene for 168,000. 

Cummins Water Works’ newest partner, Save the Children, is aiming to increase access to safe water in schools in Kitwe, Zambia. The partnership will repair six water systems at the schools, establish sustainability and maintenance plans, and help establish WASH committees to instill improved hygiene practices for students. The project is expected to impact 11,000 children, 60 WASH committee members, and 24 teachers.

“We are excited to expand the Cummins Water Works program into Zambia. Our employee teams there are eager to help implement WASH practices in the local schools and contribute their time and skills to improving daily life for those in their community,” said Jim Schacht, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility.

Cummins employees in Kitwe will be volunteering to support hand hygiene education sessions, the assembly and distribution of hygiene kits, and participating in events such as World Water Day, Menstrual Hygiene Day, and World Hand Hygiene Day. 

Source 1: “1 in 3 People Globally Do Not Have Access to Safe Drinking Water – UNICEF, Who.” UNICEF, 18 June 2019, www.unicef.org/press-releases/1-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who.`