State certifies filter for molybdenum removal from tap water

UNION GROVE (WITI) -- The State Department of Safety and Professional Services has approved the Culligan Aqua-Cleer Drinking Water System and the Culligan Good Water Machine Drinking Water System for the safe removal of molybdenum from drinking water.

This certification comes after elevated levels of the molybdenum were found in drinking water supplies affecting people in the towns of Caledonia, Raymond, Norway, Yorkville, Union Grove, the city of Muskego, as well as residents using private wells in Franklin and Oak Creek.

The approved products were submitted by Culligan Man Don Meredith, whose Meredith’s Culligan dealership serves much of the affected area. Both systems use reverse osmosis, which utilizes pressure and semi-permeable membranes to filter out up to 99 percent of waterborne pollutants and contaminants from water. Installation at the kitchen sink is the most common product application residentially.

Molybdenum is a naturally occurring metal that is often present in very low levels in food and water. The element, though, can be toxic in higher doses, which has prompted an investigation by the Department of Natural Resources after tests revealed elevated molybdenum levels in January 2013.

The state and the Environmental Protection Agency have set a “health-based ground water standard for molybdenum at 40 micrograms per liter.”  Some of the positive tests found in the DNR’s evaluation found levels up to twice the established legal and health benchmarks.

The source of the contamination is still unknown.

While Meredith’s Culligan sponsored the product for state consideration, any Culligan dealer in Wisconsin can offer the same line of approved products.

For more information of the Culligan Aqua-Cleer Drinking Water System and the Culligan Good Water Machine Drinking Water System, including product models and capacities, please visit http://dsps.wi.gov/php/sb-ppalopp/manuf_result.php/2863/MEREDITH