How to Filter Lake Water for Residential Use

By Heather Fleck, Culligan Water Store in Nova Scotia

It’s 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 local Culligan expert 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 Filter-Cleer® water filter removes dirt, silt, clay and other types of sediment from your water supply. The Filter-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. It also works against most discoloration 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.