Culligan Blog

by Heather Fleck, Culligan Water Store in Nova Scotia

It is that time of year when the weather gets warm enough that you start to enjoy the outdoors more or you head to your lakeside getaway! It’s also an important time of the year to stay hydrated – and what better way to do that than by drinking fresh water.

If you own a lakeside home or cottage, you may already draw water directly from the lake for residential use. Because lake water can accumulate runoff, animal excretions, and pollution from boats and machinery, it is important to follow the proper filtration process before you do. Lake water is rarely drinkable, but with the proper filtration, you can have great tasting water. If you use your local lake for residential drinking water use, Culligan wants to help you in the process.

As you gear up for another fun summer by the water, use this checklist to ensure you are properly drawing your drinking water.

How to Filter Lake Water for Home Use

1. Arrange to have your lake water tested. Comprehensive testing identifies both chemical and biological contaminants in the water and your Culligan Man can tell you exactly what is in it.


2. Make sure your contractor or property manager checks your pipeline. The open end of the water supply pipe should be as far out into the lake as possible; shoreline water is often brackish and might contain contaminants.


3. Check your filtration system between the lake pipe and your home's water pipes. There are three basic types of filters: particle/sediment, activated carbon, and organic resin. Of the three, organic resin filters are the most effective removers of organic contamination from the water.


• Cloudy, hazy water gets that way due to sediment in the water. The Culligan Filtr-Cleer® water filter removes dirt, silt, clay and other types of sediment from your water supply. The Filtr-Cleer® filter is four filters in one; they work at different levels, stacked on top of each other, each removing a particular size of sediment particle.


• Culligan Cullar Carbon Filter is an activated carbon filter designed to reduce contaminants that cause water to taste and smell unpleasant. They also work against most discolouration problems.


• A Culligan water softener with specialized Macro-T organics resin. Macro-T provides superior resistance to organic fouling and has the unique ability to remove and release tannins during the service and regeneration cycles. Macro-T is the resin of choice for residential water treatment systems where organic tannins are present.


4. Consider a Culligan UV purification system after your filter and before the home's water supply for additional filtration. Water filters and softeners remove organic contaminants, sediment and make water appear clear, but will not remove most bacteria and viruses. UV systems are all effective against microorganisms. Installing it after the filter or water softener is important, as UV filters require clear water.


5. Check your tap water once you have completed checking the Culligan filtration system and then on a regular basis to ensure that your system is still operating properly.

If you use lake water in your home, call your local Culligan Man! He can help you check your water filtration systems to ensure you have the best tasting drinking water all summer long.

Locally owned and operated since 1983, Culligan Water Store is your Nova Scotia Water Specialist. Our values are based on integrity, customer service, trust and passion. We’ve seen many water problems and create custom solutions to deliver better water. Visit us as www.culliganwaterstore.ca.

Here at Culligan of Canada, we love water. We often take the subject very seriously. But we’re not beyond having a little fun with our dedication to life’s essential beverage. As we celebrate May is Drinking Water Month, we present a few fun, odd and amusing facts about water that affect our bodies and Canada. Grab a cool glass of our favorite beverage and enjoy!

Fact 1 In Canada, there is more water underground than there is on the surface in places such as lakes and reservoirs – that’s a lot of water considering…

Fact 2 8% of the land in Canada is covered by lakes – that’s more than any other country in the world.

Fact 3 Water makes up approximately 70% of a human’s body weight – but that doesn’t mean to stop drinking water if you want to lose weight!

Fact 4 Approximately 80% of your brain tissue is made of water (about the same percentage of water found in a living tree).

Fact 5 By the time you feel thirsty, your body has lost more than 1 percent of its total water – do make sure to drink plenty of water before you feel thirsty. Let’s take a break for a glass of water right now. Meet you back at Fact 6.

Fact 6 Better? Let’s continue. Drinking water can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism, which helps burn calories faster.

Fact 7 Drinking water may prevent arthritis. With good hydration and water in your body, there is less friction in your joints, giving you a less chance of developing arthritis.

Fact 8 Heart disease and cancer risks can be reduced by drinking enough water daily. Water aids in flushing toxins out of your body, and the fewer toxins that come into contact with your colon, bladder, and other organs, the less chance that critical ailments can develop.

Fact 9 Smile. Drinking water can promote good oral hygiene and may help in reducing cavities and tooth decay. Water helps produce saliva, which keeps your mouth and teeth clean.

Fact 10 Water is recyclable. Today there is the same amount of water on Earth as there was when the planet was formed. You may be drinking water that shared molecules with water that dinosaurs drank! Try not to think too much about this, though.

Fact 11 Many of the lakes on the Canadian Shield were created by glacial erosion (including those of the Great Lakes) – does this make the water really cold?

Fact 12 The Great Lakes are the source of drinking water to 8.5 million Canadians!

Do you know any fun facts about water that were not shared here? Stop by our Facebook page or Twitter to let us know about it!

Sources:

1. http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=11A8CA33-1
2. http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/5-amazing-facts-water-145800702.html;_ylt=A2KLOzJcnzdRkHQAc.YhmolQ
3. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/water.html
4. http://www.allaboutwater.org/water-facts.html
5. http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking_water/ww_funfacts.asp
6. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

Culligan raises a toast to all mothers in Canada for Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 12! We’ll raise a glass, of water that is, to the strong women who seem do it all. Mothers know best – whether it’s good advice or knowing exactly what to do when you need a cure for anything from a headache to a fever to a stomachache. Where does she get all of that knowledge? We think mom may have an ally in the fight for better health and you guessed it – it’s water!

Just like mom, water may be able to heal many health ailments. By drinking water, you can burn fat, improve the condition of your complexion, cure a stomachache, dry a runny nose, increase your mood and maybe even cure a headache (1). According to new research, around seven glasses of the power beverage may ease the pain of those who regularly suffer from headaches which may improve their quality of life (2).

If you are feeling sleepy, drinking water can also cure that. Fatigue is one of the first signs of being dehydrated (3) and drinking water is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to cure it. Even a small drop in your body’s water levels can impair your thinking, so drink up for a rested mind!

We’re glad mom was around for all of the answers but grateful we can join her in improving our health by drinking more water. We’ll drink (water) to that!

1. http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/drinking-water-1
2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2186830/Suffering-headaches-Leave-painkillers-just-drink-water.html
3. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/how-to-get-more-energy

We love water at Culligan. In fact, we love water so much that we created May is Drinking Water Month. We dedicating the entire month of May to celebrating our favorite beverage – drinking water. This month-long initiative focuses on the importance of drinking water and coincides with other government and organization initiatives such as BC Water & Waste Association’s Drinking Water Week (May 20-26). Drinking water is important for a healthy lifestyle and plays an important role in tasty food and beverages. That's why we want to celebrate all month!

During May is Drinking Water Month we will be talking about all things drinking water. We’ll give you tips on better drinking water and how it can benefit you, interesting facts you didn't know about drinking water and how to stay hydrated with great tasting water. You will also learn what happens to your water once it leaves its original source – whether it’s from a private well or a municipality.

Check back often for updates to the blog and head over to Facebook or Twitter to tell us why you love drinking water! So grab an ice cold tall one (water that is) and enjoy your Culligan drinking water. We hope by the end of the month, you will love water just as much as we do.

Happy World Water Day 2013!

UN Water, an inter-agency of the United Nations, celebrates World Water Day every year on March 22 and you can too!

World Water Day focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and our part in “advocating for the sustainable management and use of our freshwater resources” (1). This year’s World Water Day theme is dedicated to freshwater cooperation in order to honor the International Year of Water Cooperation. Water cooperation means that everyone, including scientists, law makers, water management specialists, and even members of society do their part to make sure that fresh water serves the needs of everyone involved (1). In some parts of the world, freshwater is shared across political and cultural borders (1). When this happens, it is especially important that all persons work together to ensure everyone gets the freshwater they need.

This helpful infographic from UN-Water helps us understand the importance of freshwater and why cooperation is needed across the globe. The infographic also shares ways you can get involved to support this global mission. You can also find out how you can participate across Canada with UN Water’s map of World Water Day events or visit worldwaterday.ca for additional World Water Day recognition events in your local area.

View the Freshwater for All infographic from UN Water today!

Sources:

1. http://www.unwater.org