Cummins Water Works launches new alliance with the China Women’s Development Foundation to impact water resource management

Addressing water security is one of Cummins Inc.’s global strategic programs that continues to gain momentum as it impacts communities around the world. Cummins is pleased to announce, through Cummins Water Works (CWW) and its latest alliance with the China Women’s Development Foundation (CWDF), an extensive project plan is underway to improve water security across five regions in China.

“Cummins and our employees are dedicated to strengthening communities all over the world through sustainable water initiatives,” says Xiangdong Ding, Cummins Corporate Responsibility Leader China. “In many countries, the burden of water collection falls upon women and girls, with most traveling long distances, carrying heavy loads and often pulled out of schools, leaving few options for them to earn an income. CWW’s partnership with CWDF addresses both water needs and women’s needs in China. It’s an opportune collaboration with impressive projected results.”

The Plan

The goal of CWDF is to safeguard women’s rights and interests, improve women’s quality of life and promote the development of women and women’s causes in China, resulting in their contributions to building a harmonious society. The project with CWW combines women’s empowerment with ecological development in carrying out comprehensive water resources management with the plan to initially support communities in Beijing, Shanghai, Shiyan and Chongqing.

Starting in 2024 and continuing over a three-year period, financial resources, made available through a grant from the Cummins Foundation, will be dedicated to initiatives addressing water resource management in China, specifically in four key areas: improving water quality, providing water infrastructure installation, improving water-use efficiency and raising water conservation awareness. And that’s not all. An estimated 1,200 Cummins employees will be able to volunteer about 3,000 hours per year and participate in a wide range of support activities.

The Action

The action plan includes: releasing algae-feeding fish to control aquatic vegetation; constructing a new reservoir along a water pipeline to address the water needs of humans and livestock; planting of native aquatic plants with strong pollution resistance; engaging experts and volunteers to manage water conservation awareness programs for community residents; and constructing centrally located water tanks to reduce water retrieval time and improve water quality.

The project plan estimates volumetric water benefits that will help meet Cummins’ goal of being net water positive in the region by 2025. It also estimates in the first year, about 5,000 people will be positively impacted by these efforts.

The Potential

Cummins PLANET 2050 environmental sustainability strategy continues to expand in size and capability to lead on climate action. With nine goals timed to 2030, Cummins Water Works is helping Cummins go further faster. In its first two years since launching, CWW, through partnerships with global nonprofits, has provided nearly 6.9 billion gallons in annual water benefits, helping more than 1.1 million people by improving water quality and increasing communities’ access to clean water in 15 different countries. In 2023 alone, CWW saw incredible growth, logging 11,300 employee volunteer hours, issuing 12 high-impact grants and working with more than 30 different community partners. And there is so much more to do.

Xiang Yongdong, General Manager, Cummins Power Systems China, shares: “Cummins started doing business in China in 1975, and today it’s one of our most important markets. Our company believes the health of our communities affects the health of our people and business. Cummins has a vast presence in China, with over 13,000 employees in business, manufacturing, technical and engineering centers, along with more than 3,000 dealers. This partnership allows us to work together to make a great impact in many communities. I am very proud being part of a company that not only values success in business but places a great value on making positive contributions toward the sustainability of our world.”