A fresh alternative to plastic

We often reach into the refrigerator or store cooler to grab that plastic water bottle for its convenience and cold, fresh-tasting water but what happens to that bottle once we’re finished drinking? There are basically three trips it can take—either to the recycling plant, the landfill, or sadly bounced out of the car directly into the environment. It’s estimated that in the U.S. alone, 60 million water bottles are used each day, and only 12% of those travel to a recycling plant. This means that almost 54 million water bottles make their way to our landfills, rivers, forests, and oceans each day. While we hope our plastic will be recycled, we can ensure we don’t contribute to the problem of plastic pollution by filling up a reusable water bottle with purified water right from our home or office instead.

Culligan Water wants to replace all of that plastic with amazing-tasting water straight out of your tap and into your own water canteen with their Aquasentential Drinking Water System. Installed directly under the sink with its own dedicated tap, the system provides purified drinking water on demand. It can even be connected to your refrigerator to provide that same water for purified cold water and ice. Use the Culligan tap for rinsing fruits and vegetables, making coffee and tea, and diluting natural cleaners; all with chemical-free pure water. The systems are certified through the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and Water Quaility Association (WQA), independent third parties, and they are one of the few companies that also have California certification for water contaminant removal.

Culligan offers two models of reverse osmosis drinking water systems, the Aquasential Smart and the Aquasential Tankless. Reverse osmosis is essentially the process of pushing water through a series of filters that remove sediment, chlorine, nitrates, and other chemicals and dissolved solids, resulting in pure cleantasting water or “fresh-squeezed water” as William Bocast co-owner of Culligan Water shares. “The Aquasential Smart system is the world’s most efficient water purification system, which is awesome and we are really proud of that.” It has a two-year filter life and utilizes a small water storage tank that fits under the sink. The Wi-Fi integrated system comes with an included phone app that enables the user to set and view daily water consumption goals, determine how many single-use bottles they’ve saved, and calculate their cost savings. The Aquasential Tankless system has a built-in water pump that allows it to move water at a high enough pressure to “keep that ice machine happy” and is optimal if there is a long distance between the sink and the refrigerator. Both models only require a filter change every one to two years depending on the installed model, which can be completed by the homeowner or Culligan. William recommends having Culligan complete the first filter change so the technician can share what tools are required and explain the necessary steps in replacing the filters.

In addition to avoiding contributing to the plastic pollution problem, the cost savings enjoyed by using your own water and bottles as opposed to buying cases of water from the store can be significant. If you’re interested in finding out more about the systems Culligan of Chico offers, visit their website at www.culliganofchico.com or call them at 530-343-5100 to schedule a free water test and get started saving the environment while saving money.