CHICAGO, Ill. - June 6, 2007 - Culligan International Company, a global innovator of high-quality water treatment solutions for residential and business use, introduced its next-generation brine reclaim technology for use with Culligan’s commercial water softening systems and patented MVP™ Electronic Controller. The combination of brine reclaim and the MVP™ controller yields significant savings in water and salt for hotel operations. Hotels also can become “greener” by taking proactive measures to protect the environment, as well as improve their overall guest experience by ensuring patrons experience the benefits of softened water.
How Brine Reclaim Works
Brine reclaim is the process of returning a portion of reusable brine to the brine tank rather than sending it down the drain during the softening process. Culligan’s brine reclaim solution and MVP™ Electronic Controller is easily retrofitted to many commercial water softening systems, and is more cost-effective than competing technology. There is no need to purchase and install a separate brine system for each softener unit. A standard single Culligan brine reclaim system can accommodate three softener tanks with expansion capability to accommodate four, if necessary.
Culligan’s MVP™ Electronic Controller comes with most softeners sold by Culligan. By using “smart technology,” it allows a hotel’s water softener to constantly operate at peak efficiency and can be programmed for brine reclaim. It works together with Culligan’s brine reclaim system to ensure that salt usage remains at optimal levels based on consumption – for optimal savings.
Saves in Operational Costs
The cost-saving benefits of brine reclaim for a hotel’s business can favorably impact the bottom-line. Recycling reusable brine reduces the amount of salt needed to continue running the softener and allows the equipment to run more efficiently. For most hotels, 25 percent or more of brine can be reclaimed. As a result, customers typically realize 25 to 40 percent savings in salt costs – plus additional savings on water usage, sewage costs (by reducing discharge to the drain) and labor for carrying and loading salt.
“For a typical 120-bed hotel that consumes an average of 10,000 gallons of water daily, brine reclaim generates a measurable ROI; the system usually pays for itself in about two years,” said Keith Rosinski, Commercial Product Manager, Culligan International.
Treasure Island Resort and Casino, based in Red Wing, MN, is a good case in point. There are two areas in the facility that have softeners: the hotel area and the receiving dock, which feeds the casino and kitchen. Culligan’s brine reclaim system was put on the softener for the kitchen. That system required 32,850 pounds of salt annually. Since Culligan’s brine reclaim solution was installed, Treasure Island has been saving 30 percent in salt, which equates to 9,852 pounds of salt per year. Treasure Island anticipates that the brine reclaim system will pay for itself in two years. Furthermore, the resort/casino has become more environmentally conscious as a result of consuming less salt and therefore generating less waste.
Promotes Going "Green"
Culligan’s brine reclaim system helps hotels to be more environmentally friendly and in sync with green solutions. Any commercial establishment that has high water and salt consumption – i.e. hotels, laundries, hospitals and health clubs – are good candidates for brine reclaim. Reclaiming usable brine is better for the environment for two reasons. Conserving salt results in less demand and depletion of natural resources. By using less salt, there is also less discharge to be treated. Hotels therefore can be in greater compliance with EPA regulations and even take it a step further by protecting the environment from unnecessary waste.
Improves Guest Experience
Use of softened water – in conjunction with the Culligan brine reclaim system and MVP™ Electronic Controller – is critical for hotels’ overall operational savings and helps to provide the best possible guest experience. Softened water used in hotel showers and spas gives patrons shinier hair and softer skin, by helping to produce a greater lather when using shampoos, soaps and scrubs. In addition, guests experience softer, brighter linens and towels. It also eliminates hard water stains on bathroom fixtures and shower stalls. Full service hotels provide a more satisfactory dining experience by using spot-free glasses, dishes and flatware. Softer water also helps protect hotel restaurant equipment such as ice/coffee machines, dish machines, water heaters and steamers by preventing scale build up that can lead to expensive repairs and even replacement of these high-cost appliances.
Availability
The Culligan brine reclaim system is immediately available and for use with Culligan water softeners and the MVP™ Electronic Controller. All Culligan solutions are supported by a national dealer network, which provides local expert service to hotel operations throughout North America. For a free water analysis, system pricing or to locate a Culligan dealer near you, contact Culligan at 1-800-CULLIGAN or visit: www.culligancommercial.com.
About Culligan
Culligan is headquartered in the Chicago area, with a network of 700+ dealers, and maintains international offices in 12 countries. For more than 70 years, Culligan has been recognized as the world leading innovator and provider of filtration systems to improve general use and drinking water in the home and workplace. Culligan offers the most extensive water treatment product line in the world, and services many of the nation’s leading chain and independent hotels. Culligan is also a founding member of the Water Quality Association and contributing donor to the Water Quality Research Foundation, the research arm of the water quality improvement industry
