River of Support: Canadian Dealer Is Serious About Giving Back

In a time of economic uncertainty, some local businesses take it upon themselves to give back. When it comes to the local Culligan dealership, owner Paul Moorman sees charitable donations as vital to supporting our home community, on behalf of both the company and its employees.

“Above all else, the Culligan Man is a local resource, and we are always pleased to lend a hand to a variety of worthwhile causes,” says Moorman, who owns Culligan dealerships in Peterborough and Belleville, Ontario.

In 2009, Culligan donated 22,608 single-serve bottles of clean, potable water and 293 bottles of 18-litre Culligan water.

That’s more than 16,500 litres of water.

• Here’s just a few of the worthwhile organizations and events Moorman's Culligan dealership has supported during the past year.

o Rotary Club
o United Way Dragon Boat Festival
o Trump AIDS Walk
o Terry Fox Run
o Make-A-Wish Foundation
o ALS Walk
o Lung Association Pull for Kids
o AIDS Walk for Life
o PEC Marathon
o One to One Walk for Cancer
o United Way Casino Royale
o Relay for Life
o Lung Association Amazing Pace
o MS Walk
o Festival of Trees
o Children’ Water Festival – Peterborough
o Children’s Water Festival - Belleville
o Salvation Army
o Telus Walk to Cure Cancer
o Fiesta Buckhorn
o Easter Seals
o Canada Day Festival
o Alzheimers Society
o Walk to Cure Diabetes
o Rotary Loves Kids Golf Tournament
o YMCA Kids Reverse Triathlon
o Trenton Military Family Resource Centre

Remember that Good Housekeeping Seal? Yep, Culligan's Got it!

NEW YORK & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In celebration of the 100th birthday of the Good Housekeeping Seal, the magazine’s famous emblem of quality and a limited two-year warranty, the magazine has created an interactive, traveling exhibit that recreates the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, where all product evaluations are conducted. Visitors will see up close the various tests that products must go through to earn the Seal or be featured in Good Housekeeping, both editorially and in advertisements. GHRI on Tour presented by IKEA will make stops in 11 markets, transported via an environmentally-responsible low-emission vehicle. Visitors can also enter to win a room makeover from IKEA.

"Now more than ever, the Good Housekeeping Seal delivers an invaluable service to consumers, helping them cut through the erroneous claims to find products that really perform as promised,” says Rosemary Ellis, editor in chief of Good Housekeeping. “This exhibit really explains the work we do at the Research Institute, how it relates to the magazine, and how a product earns the Seal. Visitors will realize that we are unique in the way we stand behind the safety and efficacy of everything they see in Good Housekeeping.”

Culligan is sponsoring the Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab, where the practicality and performance of all appliances, equipment, and utensils used in preparing and storing food are reviewed. Culligan currently has eight home drinking water filtration and softening products which have received the Good Housekeeping Seal. These include: Aqua-Cleer® Drinking Water System; AC-30 Good Water Machine® Drinking Water System; Gold Series™ Whole House Water Filter; Medallist Series™ Whole House Water Filter; Iron-Cleer® Whole House Filter; Platinum Plus Series Water Softener; Gold Series™ Water Softener; and Medallist Series™ Water Softener.

“As Good Housekeeping celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the Seal, Culligan will be celebrating over 70 years as a world leader in water treatment. Both Culligan and Good Housekeeping share an established history built on innovation, quality and trust. We are excited to give consumers an inside look at the Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab, so that people can understand how better water will make their lives better,” said Eric Rosenthal, VP of Marketing at Culligan.

In addition to the Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab, the GHRI on Tour presented by IKEA features an additional six interactive labs with diorama-style windows that provide a look inside, along with a video of each lab’s director explaining the products he/she evaluates. The exhibit also includes areas devoted to the magazine’s environmental initiatives; its VIP (Very Innovative Product) Awards; a timeline with GHRI highlights, from landmark evaluations to important recalls; touch screen televisions with trivia games and videos of sample product evaluations. There is also a Kid’s “Lab,” where parents can drop off their children while they explore the exhibit, staffed by trained day care professionals.

GHRI on Tour Presented by IKEA will make stops in the following markets:

* Tampa, FL: Museum of Science and Industry: September 26 – October 10
* Dallas, TX: State Fair of Texas: October 17 – 18
* Phoenix, AZ: Arizona State Fair: November 7 – 8
* Minneapolis, MN: Mall of America: November 21 – 22
* Atlanta, GA: Atlantic Station: December 12 – 13

New York Times Has Water High on Its Agenda

It popped into my Google Alert on Saturday afternoon: "Toxic Waters" by the New York Times. Interest piqued. I went on to read the series, and the depth and detail of the data belie how water has wandered into the paper's cross hairs. Here are just some of the Gray Lady's observations:

- 1 in 10 Americans drink contaminated water

- Well water is more at risk than municipal-provided water. (This is a point I can't urge strongly enough. Some state DNRs think less than 10% of people actually test their wells.)

- An estimated 19.5 million Americans "fall ill" every year to contaminated water.

These are just the latest in a series of stories about the water quality in the US, and people have taken notice. Atrazine was one of the big targets a few weeks ago, which quickly prompted a strong reaction from local, state and federal authorities all over the country.

Remember, the data above is just a sampling of the investigation, and I encourage everyone to do their research into their area's water history and issues.

What the heck is hard water?

You have probably heard the term, heard your mom complain about it and your dad curse it like a bad golf swing. Hard water is actually responsible for a huge amount of waste and destruction in your home and on your body, and it should be cursed.

Down-and-really dirty

Hard water is considered water with a high volume of hard minerals, usually calcium and magnesium.(Sounds like a bad 80s singing duo) Anything with more than 1 grain of hard minerals per gallon is considered hard water. Anything above 3 gpg, run, don’t walk, to get a water softener. Believe me, you will thank me and may even send me a present.(I need new sweaters by the way.)

What Hard Water Does

These two nasty elements then run amuck on your skin, hair and household appliances. Ever get out of the shower and feel like, how do I say, gunky? That’s because soap and other products can’t rinse properly and subsequently dry out your skin and hair. Remember in old Acme cartoons, the fleas used to build whole cities on the family dog? It’s like that, in mineral form.

Appliances are not spared from hard water’s wrath. A recent study shower showerheads can get clogged and rendered inoperable within 18 months. Ever pull out dishes from the dishwasher to be greeted by filth spots? You can thank hard water. If your sink looks like a frat house just used it during its latest social, hard water is probably to blame. (Disclaimer: If you actually did just have a frat party, that’s also the reason the toilet is in the front yard.)

Time Goes By So Slowwwlllyyy

I know the Righteous Brothers did not have hard water in mind when they came up with that line. But who says they didn't? Moving on.

A study by Ohio State University indicated that time required for typical cleaning taskes was increased by 50 percent.

So look around your house and in the mirror and ask: Is hard water costing me money and time? If the answer is yes, yell “Hey Culligan Man!”

Iowa Culligan Dealer Offers Eco-friendly, BPA-free ‘Bagged Water’

New technology can replace five-gallon bottles on home and office coolers

QUAD CITIES, IA - Recently Vetter’s, Inc., a Culligan Water dealer located in the Quad Cities has obtained licensing rights to produce and distribute PURELOCK™, a home and office water system that operates using “bagged water.”

The PURELOCK™ system uses a single-use, three-gallon bag that does not contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a common additive in the production of polycarbonate and PET water bottles. Furthermore, the bags are made of an FDA-approved, 100%-recyclable, low-density polyethylene that can be attached to an existing water cooler through an upgraded cooler top. Lastly, the water used in the PURELOCK™ units is the same used to fill the bottles.

“As a leader in the local water industry and business community, we feel it is our responsibility to continually provide our customers with cutting edge technology and more eco-friendly alternatives,” says Marty McCarthy, vice president of Vetter’s, Inc. “This product offers added levels of convenience and sanitation, plus it drastically reduces the carbon footprint associated with most polycarbonate and PET bottles.”

In addition to the environmental impact of this new technology, Vetter’s Inc. customers see many everyday benefits. For example, each PURELOCK™ unit weighs approximately 20 lbs. less than existing five-gallon bottles, making them much easier for anyone to lift onto their cooler.

McCarthy also points out that the storage of bags is much easier than that of five-gallon bottles.

Moreover, “bagged water” technology positively affects the overall function of the water cooler. For instance, the PURELOCK™ system reduces the airflow necessary to operate existing systems. This reduction of airflow can lead to less bacteria buildup over time, and consequently result in a healthier drinking system. In addition, the cooler upgrade unit is easily removable and is dishwasher safe making it easy to clean any time.

“All in all, this is a great product that offers the consumer so many added values,” added McCarthy. “In a value-driven and environmentally-conscious world, we feel this product is an example of creative problem solving and an example of our commitment to our community and customers.”

Vetter’s, Inc. currently services most of Eastern Iowa and parts of Western Illinois. For a limited time, the company is providing upgrade units free of charge.


Disclaimer: Culligan dealers are individually owned and operated. Vetter's, Inc. and their six locations are the first, and currently the only, to produce and distribute the PURELOCK™ units within the Culligan system.