Cummins Water Works Celebrates One Year Providing Sustainable Solutions

Cummins Inc. earlier this month marked the first anniversary of Cummins Water Works, the company’s commitment to strengthening communities through sustainable water and addressing the global water crisis.

Cummins Water Works is a key piece of the company’s strategy to tackle climate change and extend Cummins’ commitment to sustainability. Water is the primary medium through which people experience the effects of climate change – from drought to flooding. Today, about 785 million people lack access to basic drinking water, and by 2050 at least one in four people will likely live in a country affected by chronic or recurring water shortages.

The water works initiative focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water in the communities where Cummins does business and the company’s employees live and work. Through partnerships with The Nature Conservancy and Water.org, Cummins Water Works has helped more than 500,000 people by providing about four billion gallons in annual water benefits to communities around the world, bringing increased access to clean water and improved water quality.

The company’s support for Water.org has allowed the nonprofit to complete more than 47,000 water infrastructure improvement projects, such as installing spigots, plumbing, taps, pumps and water storage tanks. Additionally, Cummins’ funds supported the marketing of loan opportunities to families in the most vulnerable communities. The funds also help teach banks how to process low capital environmental loans and show that the loans are profitable.

To date, Cummins Water Works has helped mobilize more than $17 million in capital with a loan repayment rate of just over 99%. More than 80% of the applicants are female.

Projects are currently underway in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and India, with several more identified for Chile, South Africa and Spain. These projects address an array of local needs such as building oyster reefs that filter algae from the water and remove nutrients that can be harmful to other aquatic life, sponsoring low interest loans for underserved populations and installing indoor plumbing.

One recent loan helped a family in Brazil purchase a rainwater storage tank, which allows them to avoid costly trips into town to purchase water and to focus more time on their family farm.

In India, Cummins’ funds enabled families to install taps and toilet facilities in their homes, helping them live safer and healthier lives. They also save money, as the monthly loan payments are less than what they were paying local water vendors for clean water.