What Culligan International does

Culligan International is a privately held water treatment company founded in 1936 and headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, providing water softening, filtration, reverse osmosis, and PFAS reduction systems to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in more than nine countries across North America and Western Europe. The company reports serving 170 million customers daily through a network of 900+ independently owned dealers and 600+ North American service locations, and operates the wholly-owned Culligan Quench sub-brand focused on workplace hydration (bottleless coolers, sparkling dispensers, ice machines, coffee brewers). The product portfolio centers on the Aquasential residential line (HE softeners, tankless and under-sink RO, salt-free conditioners, whole-home PFAS and iron/sulfur/arsenic filters), commercial systems (industrial softeners, RO, deionization, membrane solutions, and the 2026-launched Culligan Purity with Firewall UVC and C-Sense monitoring), and recurring services such as water testing, salt delivery, and bottled water delivery.

Culligan makes money through a mix of one-time equipment sales, subscription rentals starting at $9.95/month with bundled service, dealer sell-through of products, and recurring service contracts (salt and water delivery, maintenance). The company emphasizes third-party NSF/ANSI-certified performance, a 90+ year brand, and 4.8-star customer satisfaction as primary commercial differentiators. Distribution is hybrid: a local dealer network handles residential and SMB sales/service, a direct field sales team covers commercial and industrial accounts, Quench sells workplace hydration, and an AmeriWater partnership addresses healthcare sterile processing. Following the September 2024 sale of its European Commercial and Industrial division (over €100M in turnover) to Grundfos, Culligan has narrowed its operating scope to residential water treatment, the Quench workplace franchise, and targeted commercial verticals, while continuing to invest in new product launches, geographic expansion, and inorganic growth.

Name

Culligan International

Legal name

Culligan International

Website

https://culligan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Culligan International is a private, 90+ year old water treatment company that designs, sells, and services water softening, filtration, reverse osmosis, and PFAS reduction systems for residential, commercial, and industrial customers through 900+ independent dealers and the Quench workplace brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Potable Water Treatment & Conditioning (Filtration, Disinfection, Corrosion Control) (EUANAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Softener, Filtration & Treatment System Installation (HSAOAAAH), Disinfection & Oxidation (Chlorine/Chloramine, UV, Ozone, AOP) (EUANABAD)

Keywords

• Water treatment systems
• Water softeners
• Reverse osmosis filtration
• Commercial water treatment
• Bottleless water coolers

Headquarters

HQ city

Rosamond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Water Treatment Equipment Sales: Sale of water softeners, filtration systems, reverse osmosis units, and whole-home water treatment equipment directly to residential and commercial customers through dealers
2. Equipment Rental: Flexible rental programs starting as low as $9.95/month for water softeners and treatment systems, including expert service and maintenance
3. Dealer Network Revenue: Franchise and dealer network model where independently owned Culligan dealers purchase products and provide installation and service
4. Water Delivery Service: Scheduled bottled water delivery service for homes and offices
5. Salt Delivery Service: Regular salt deliveries for water softener systems, scheduled based on customer needs
6. Service and Maintenance: Ongoing repair, service, and maintenance programs for water treatment systems

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Culligan International manufactures and distributes water treatment equipment including water softeners, reverse osmosis systems, whole-house filtration, and PFAS reduction units, primarily under the Aquasential brand for residential use and through the Quench brand for workplace hydration. The company sells, installs, and services this equipment through a network of 900+ independent dealers across North America and Europe, and also offers water and salt delivery, water testing, and ongoing maintenance services.

Product overview

Culligan International offers a comprehensive water treatment portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and workplace segments. The residential lineup centers on the Aquasential® brand family (water softeners, RO systems, whole-home filters) with smart WiFi-enabled variants, complemented by salt-free conditioners and specialized PFAS filtration. Commercial offerings include industrial softeners, reverse osmosis, deionization, and membrane solutions, plus the award-winning Culligan Purity™ commercial system with UVC technology. Workplace hydration is served through the Quench brand of bottleless water coolers. All segments are supported by service offerings including water testing, salt delivery, and the Culligan Connect app for smart system monitoring. The portfolio addresses water softening, filtration, PFAS removal, reverse osmosis, and well water treatment across consumer, commercial, and industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Culligan Quench: Workplace hydration solutions brand offering bottleless water coolers, sparkling water dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers for commercial and office environments.
• Aquasential®
• Culligan Purity™
• Culligan Connect

Products and services

• Aquasential Smart High Efficiency Water Softener WiFi-enabled whole-house water softener with app connectivity for remote monitoring, low-salt alerts, and leak detection; saves up to 46% on salt, water, and electricity usage for residential customers.
• Aquasential Select Series Water Softeners Entry-level whole-house water softeners providing long-lasting softening at an affordable price point for residential customers.
• Aquasential Smart High Efficiency Twin Water Softener Dual-tank water softener system providing uninterrupted soft water supply for large households with smart monitoring features.
• Aquasential Salt-Free Water Conditioner Salt-free conditioner for brine-restricted areas that reduces scale buildup using anti-scaling resin technology while preserving beneficial minerals; zero water waste, non-electric, and virtually maintenance-free.
• Aquasential Smart Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System Advanced under-sink RO system certified to reduce over 70 contaminants plus 15 emerging contaminants including PFAS, lead, arsenic, bacteria, and microplastics; features WiFi connectivity for tracking water usage and service alerts.
• Aquasential Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System Under-sink reverse osmosis system with up to seven stages of filtration and 12 interchangeable filters, reducing over 70 contaminants plus emerging contaminants.
• Aquasential Tankless Reverse Osmosis System Compact, space-saving tankless RO system providing unlimited filtered water for various residential spaces.
• Aquasential Whole Home PFAS Water Filter Whole-home filtration system designed to target PFAS ('forever chemicals'), third-party certified to reduce Total PFAS by more than 99%; non-backwashing system creating no wastewater.
• Aquasential Smart High Efficiency Iron-Cleer Water Filter Whole-house water filter targeting iron and hydrogen sulfide (rotten-egg smell) with smart monitoring features for residential use.
• Aquasential Smart High Efficiency Sulfur-Cleer Water Filter Whole-house water filter reducing sulfur and iron with smart features for remote monitoring.
• Aquasential Smart High Efficiency Arsenic Reduction Water Filter Whole-house water filter with targeted arsenic filtration and smart connectivity features.
• High Efficiency Whole House Water Filter Whole-house filtration system popular for well water with proprietary filtration customizable to specific water quality needs.
• AC-30 Good Water Machine Under Sink Water Filtration System Four-part filtration under-sink system providing high-quality hydration for residential use.
• Portable Water Softener Exchange Service Soft water delivery service providing portable exchange tanks for homes in brine-restricted areas or seasonal properties; Culligan delivers, installs, and services tanks on a scheduled basis.
• Commercial Water Softener Systems Industrial-grade water softener systems for commercial and industrial applications reducing hardness and improving operational efficiency.
• Commercial Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Industrial-scale reverse osmosis systems providing multi-stage ion removal for high-purity commercial water needs.
• Commercial Deionization Solutions Water deionization systems removing mineral ions for high-purity applications in commercial and industrial settings.
• Membrane Solutions Commercial membrane solutions using specialized membranes to increase equipment efficiency by reducing scale buildup.
• Culligan Purity Commercial Water Filtration System
• Quench Bottleless Water Coolers Bottleless water coolers for workplace hydration that connect directly to water lines with multistage filtration including sediment, carbon, reverse osmosis, mineral enhancement, and drinking water polishing stages.
• Water Testing Service In-home water quality testing and consultation service where Culligan experts analyze water and recommend appropriate treatment solutions for residential customers.
• Salt Delivery Service Regular salt delivery service for water softener maintenance, including professional installation and scheduled refills for residential and commercial customers.
• Water Delivery Service Bottled water delivery service providing eco-friendly, family-sized water options to reduce single-use plastic bottle waste for residential and office customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves up to 46% on salt, water and electricity usage with HE water softeners vs time-clock regeneration
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AmeriWatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Strategic partnership to deliver advanced water solutions for Central Sterile Processing Departments in healthcare settings across North America. Combines Culligan's commercial expertise and dealer network with AmeriWater's specialized healthcare water purification capabilities. Aims to help healthcare facilities meet stringent ANSI/AAMI ST108 standards for sterile processing while improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.
• Quench (Culligan Brand)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuench is a Culligan brand focused on workplace hydration solutions, providing bottleless water coolers, sparkling water dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers for commercial and office environments.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentair: Pentair is a large public water treatment company offering residential and commercial filtration, softening, and reverse osmosis under the Fleck, Autotrol, and Pentair brands. While broader in scope, it competes head-to-head with Culligan in residential filtration, valve/control technology, and commercial water treatment.
• A. O. Smith Corporation: A. O. Smith is a global water heating and treatment manufacturer whose residential water treatment line (including whole-home filtration and RO) competes with Culligan's Aquasential family. Both companies sell through dealer and retail channels and bundle water treatment with broader home water solutions.
• Watts Water Technologies: Watts Water manufactures water safety, flow control, and water treatment products including reverse osmosis, filtration, and softening for residential and commercial markets. It competes with Culligan across both residential and commercial/industrial water treatment segments, particularly in plumbing-channel sales.
• 3M (Filtration business, now Solventum/post-spin): 3M's residential and commercial water filtration portfolio (including the Aqua-Pure and Filtrete brands) competes with Culligan on whole-house and point-of-use filtration. As a broader consumer products incumbent, 3M leverages retail distribution and brand trust that overlap with Culligan's dealer-led footprint.

Others

• Grundfos: Grundfos acquired Culligan's European Commercial & Industrial business in September 2024, making it a former affiliate and now an adjacent competitor in commercial and industrial water treatment across Europe. Both companies serve utilities, industrial process water, and commercial buildings with overlapping treatment and pumping technology.

Direct peers

• Kinetico: Kinetico is a direct competitor offering non-electric, twin-tank water softeners and whole-house filtration systems sold through a certified dealer network. Its non-electric differentiation, premium pricing, and dealer-led go-to-market mirror Culligan's model and target the same high-end residential customer.
• EcoWater Systems: EcoWater Systems is a direct competitor to Culligan, manufacturing residential and commercial water softeners, filtration, and reverse osmosis systems distributed through an independent dealer network across North America and Europe. Both brands target the same homeowner and small commercial buyer with installed softening and filtration solutions backed by local service.
• Quench (now part of Culligan): Quench is a Culligan-owned workplace hydration brand; comparable standalone peers include PepsiCo's Aquafina Water Services and large bottleless cooler specialists competing for office and enterprise hydration contracts.

Emerging players

• Clearly Filtered: Clearly Filtered is a DTC water filtration brand selling under-sink and pitcher systems with third-party contaminant-reduction certifications. It overlaps with Culligan's premium residential filtration positioning and appeals to health-conscious buyers willing to self-install, intensifying competition in the under-sink drinking water category.
• Waterdrop: Waterdrop is a fast-growing DTC challenger selling under-sink and reverse osmosis filtration systems directly to consumers through Amazon and its own website. It targets the same residential drinking water use case as Culligan's RO line but at a lower price point with self-installation, threatening Culligan's urban and younger-customer funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CulliganMan
• Facebookfacebook.com/culligan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culligan-international-company

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Culligan International