Wastewater Treatment At
The New Components Plant
Of Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
E. DENNIS ESCHER, Vice President
Penn Environmental Consultants, Inc.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15220
THOMAS C. SYNNOTT, Director — Project Development
Holley, Kenney, Schott, Inc.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
JOHN C. WILLIAMS, Director — Plant Environment
Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
Columbus, Indiana 47201
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
In October 1970, Cummins Engine Company of Columbus, Indiana broke ground for
its new diesel components plant on Interstate 65 at Walesboro. This plant, which is still in
the final phase of construction, will eventually employ over 2,000 people and is designed for
the machining and subassembly of air compressors, water and lube pumps, pistons, liners,
rods and other engine components. It will house about 1,000 machine tools ranging from
simple drills to complex , computer-controlled machine centers.
To ensure that the plant would be both aesthetically pleasing and economically viable,
Cummins management appointed a 15-man task force to undertake its initial planning.
This task force was given five goals: three were economic goals — improved productivity,
greater manufacturing flexibility, and greater capacity. Two goals were related to
environmental considerations, specifically: 1) that the plant environment be such that it
would attract skilled motivated people; and 2) that the internal and external plant
environments exceed the strictest existing and anticipated state and Federal standards,
particularly air and water quality standards.
To meet these two goals, the Cummins task force sought outside help. Plant design was
assigned to the architectural firm of Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo & Associates of Hamden,
Connecticut; all water and air related matters were assigned to the consulting engineering
firm of Holley, Kenney, Schott, Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The aesthetic success of the plant is obvious to all, especially the plant employees.
Features include:
1. All utility services are underground.
2. Manufacturing liquids are stored in eleven 10,000 gallon underground tanks
and pumped into the plant as required. There is no exterior storage.
3. All parking is on the plant roof to eliminate ugly, expansive parking lots and
preserve surrounding woodland. Entrances from the roof-top parking area are
at either end of a central, open courtyard. When completed, the entrances will
be equipped with both escalators and stairways to lounge areas and locker
rooms.
4. To avoid the monolithic line-of-machines look and to make operations as
flexible as possible, machines are located in the central area and are not bolted
to the floor unless absolutely necessary: wide aisles and bright decor help create
a clean, organized environment.
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