Culligan’s New Analytical Lab Testing Services and Reverse Osmosis Screen Pharmaceuticals and Other Unwanted Contaminants
The Pharma Frenzy in Perspective
Recent news headlines have reported that trace levels of pharmaceuticals have been found in certain drinking water supplies. These chemicals are currently not regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It’s important to remember that contaminants may not be in every water supply, and their levels can vary from region to region. Additionally, prescription drugs are not the only contaminants found in tap water. Lead, mercury, volatile organic compounds, cysts and chloramines may also be in your water supply.1
Why Reverse Osmosis (RO) Technology Works Best
If you’re concerned about the quality of your drinking water, there are several home water treatment options available to address your local water conditions and lifestyle needs. According the Water Quality Association, home filtering systems provide the best protection for pharmaceuticals found in drinking water.
Culligan’s reverse osmosis (RO) technology will reject at least 80% of organic molecules if the molecule has a molecular weight higher than 250, as most pharmaceuticals do. The heart of an RO system is the semi-permeable membrane. When pressure is applied, this membrane allows water molecules to pass through while blocking other, larger molecules like pharmaceuticals. The dissolved and particulate materials are left behind, which results in purer, better-tasting drinking water. RO systems also reduce other substances such as
calcium, magnesium, sodium, barium, sulfates, chloride, and silica, as well as trace metals including chromium,
copper, cadmium, lead, and selenium.
Put Your Water to the Test
Selecting the right solution depends on what substances you want removed from your drinking water. First, a water test will help determine exactly which (if any) contaminants are in your water supply. Culligan’s Analytical Laboratory provides customers with water quality analyses using U.S. EPA approved methods. Your Culligan dealer can collect a local water sample and send it to the lab to screen for contaminants such as iron, chlorine, sulfur, arsenic, radium, nitrates and other impurities in your water. Culligan is also expanding its analytical laboratory capabilities to screen for certain pharmaceutical and additional contaminants in water.
Tap into Your Local Water Experts
Residents concerned about their local water supply should contact their local Culligan dealer for a
professional analysis and consultation on an appropriate water treatment solution. Culligan’s regional water experts know the conditions of your local water supply intimately and can offer the best recommendations.
For a dealer near you, call 1-800-Culligan or visit www.culligan.com
For more information or to arrange an interview with a Culligan expert, please contact Jodi Perkins at
847-279-0881 or Marcy Manning at 847-398-1388.
1Contaminants may not be in your drinking water.
