Culligan Provides Tips for Boil Water Advisories

CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The power goes out. Your basement floods. A water main cracks. All of these issues can cause disruptions in the flow of water to homes and businesses. In these instances, Boil Water Advisories are issued to alert communities of potential issues with the quality of water for drinking, cooking, household chores and personal hygiene. Culligan International and Culligan Dealers nationwide want to emphasize the importance of taking precautions to obtain safe, clean drinking water when a home, neighborhood or city is impacted by a Boil Water Advisory.

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"Culligan strives to ensure communities are aware of the measures to take during Boil Water Advisories," said Curt Hilliard, Culligan's Senior Vice President of Marketing. "The local Culligan Man is a community water expert and often has the expertise and products to help consumers obtain safe drinking water in the event of an emergency."

Common guidelines from the EPA and CDC indicate consumers may follow these steps during a Boil Water Advisory:

• Drink bottled water. Drink water that didn't come from the tap such as water from a bottled water cooler or single-use bottled water. You can contact your local Culligan Dealer for bottled water delivery service to get access to three- or five-gallon jugs of water.
• Boil water. This is the best method for sterilizing water. Boil water for one minute, let it cool and store it in clean, covered containers. Boiling water will kill any disease-causing organisms and provide clean, potable water.
• Sterilize with bleach. If you are not able to boil water, unscented liquid household chlorine bleach is an alternative. Add 1⁄8 teaspoon (or eight drops) for each gallon of water. Mix and let stand for 30 minutes before use.

The tips above come from the EPA and CDC – consumers can find these tips and more information about the topic here:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/emergency_disinfection.html 
http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm

Following a Boil Water Advisory, consumers with water treatment equipment should contact their local Culligan Man to sanitize water softeners and drinking water systems. The local Culligan Man can also answer questions about the availability of bottled water services.

It is important to note that Boil Water Advisories are different than Do Not Drink or Do Not Use Notices. The latter are rare yet serious. Consumers should always follow the guidance of their local water system providers.

About Culligan International
Founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, Culligan International is a world leader in delivering water solutions that will improve the lives of their customers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration products. Culligan's products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for business. Culligan's network of franchise dealers, the embodiment of "the Culligan Man," is the largest in the world, with over 800 dealers in 90 countries.  Many Culligan dealers have valuable equity in their communities as multigenerational family owners of their franchises. For more information visit: www.culligan.com. 

SOURCE Culligan International