Sterling Water

What Sterling Water does

Sterling Water, Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned water treatment services company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, operating under the Sterling Culligan Water brand. Founded in 1949 as a Culligan franchisee, the company runs four dealership locations across northern Wisconsin (Eau Claire, Rothschild, Waupaca) and central Minnesota (Sauk Centre), serving both residential homeowners and commercial customers including breweries, restaurants, hotels, and offices. Its core offerings span water softeners (Aquasential High Efficiency, Select Series, and Smart models), whole-home water filters including a NSF-certified PFAS filter, reverse osmosis drinking water systems (Aquasential and Aqua-Cleer lines), bottleless and bottled water coolers (Ascent, Peak, and traditional 5-gallon units), and ancillary services such as free in-home water testing, EPA-certified lab testing, salt delivery, bottled water delivery, and equipment service and repair.

The underlying technology stack is conventional water treatment hardware — ion exchange for softening, multi-stage reverse osmosis filtration (up to seven stages, 12 interchangeable filters, certified to reduce 60 contaminants), UV disinfection, and IoT-enabled remote monitoring via Culligan Connected Home. Sterling Water sells and distributes this equipment under license from Culligan International Company, which is referenced as its franchisor/parent. All Aquasential products carry WQA, NSF/ANSI, and UL certifications.

Sterling Water monetizes through a hybrid equipment-plus-recurring-service model: outright equipment sales, monthly subscriptions for rented softeners and RO systems ($36-$47/month), cooler rentals ($12-$15.70/month), recurring salt and bottled water delivery, and one-time service calls ($249 residential standard call, $79.95 inspections). The go-to-market is sales-led via local dealerships with in-home consultations, free water testing, evening appointments, website-driven quote requests, and a referral program. Customer segments are primarily residential homeowners, supplemented by commercial/office customers and well-water users, with no disclosed enterprise concentration.

Name

Sterling Water

Legal name

Sterling Water, Inc.

Website

https://culliganh2o.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sterling Water is a third-generation, family-owned Culligan dealership operating four locations across northern Wisconsin and central Minnesota, selling and servicing water softeners, filtration systems, reverse osmosis units, bottleless and bottled water coolers, and recurring salt and water delivery for residential and commercial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Services

NAICS

Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Bottled Water Production (Large Format, Home/Office Delivery) (AFAFACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Purified/RO Bottled Water Production (AFAFACAC), Bottled Water (Still, Sparkling, Enhanced) (CRADAHAC)

Keywords

• Water treatment services
• Water softener systems
• Reverse osmosis filtration
• Bottled water delivery
• Commercial water coolers

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Water softeners, filtration systems, and drinking water systems available for monthly rental with options including month-to-month, 3-year, and 5-year agreements. Rent-to-own option allows customers to apply payments toward purchase within first six months.
2. Equipment Sales: Direct purchase of water treatment equipment including softeners, filters, reverse osmosis systems, and coolers.
3. Bottled Water Delivery: Regular delivery of 5-gallon bottles and cases of single-serve bottles with automatic scheduling options.
4. Salt Delivery: Regular delivery of water softener salt with automatic scheduling and bulk pricing options for regular customers.
5. Service and Repair: Service calls, repairs, maintenance, and installation services for water treatment equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sterling Water is a local Culligan dealer that sells, rents, and services water softeners, whole-home filtration systems, reverse osmosis drinking water systems, bottleless and bottled water coolers, and 5-gallon bottled water. The company also delivers salt and bottled water on recurring schedules, performs free and EPA-certified lab water testing, and provides installation, maintenance, and repair services across Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Product overview

Sterling Water is a local Culligan dealer providing residential and commercial water treatment solutions through a portfolio of branded products. The core offering centers on water softeners (Aquasential® High Efficiency, Select Series®, and Smart models) and whole home water filters (including High-Efficiency, Select Series®, HANS™ Premium Water Appliance, UV Treatment Systems, and the Aquasential® Whole Home PFAS Filter) that address hard water, contaminants, and PFAS. For drinking water, they offer reverse osmosis systems (Aquasential® Reverse Osmosis, Aqua-Cleer®, and Tankless variants) and a range of bottleless water coolers (Ascent™ and Peak models). The company also provides bottled water coolers, 5-gallon water bottles, and services including water testing, salt delivery, water delivery, service and repairs, and Culligan Connected Home smart monitoring. This is a module-plus-service model where equipment sales or rentals are complemented by ongoing delivery, maintenance, and monitoring services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aquasential Water Softeners: Water softening products including High Efficiency, Select Series, and Smart models
• Culligan Connected Home

Products and services

• Aquasential Water Softeners Whole-home water softeners using ion exchange technology to remove calcium and magnesium causing hardness. Product family includes the Aquasential High Efficiency, Select Series, and Smart High Efficiency models, with the Smart variant offering Culligan Connected Home integration. For residential homeowners in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Aquasential Whole Home Water Filters Whole-home water filtration systems including the Aquasential High-Efficiency Water Filter, Select Series Water Filter, HANS Premium Water Appliance (salt-free hardness removal plus reverse osmosis quality at every tap), Ultraviolet Water Treatment Systems (UV-based bacteria and virus inactivation), and the Aquasential Whole Home PFAS Water Filter certified by NSF to reduce total PFAS up to 99.9%. For residential homeowners.
• Aquasential Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems Reverse osmosis drinking water systems including the Aquasential Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System (up to seven stages of filtration, certified to reduce 60 different contaminants, smart and tankless options), Aqua-Cleer RO system (13 advanced filter options), and the Aquasential Tankless Reverse Osmosis System (over 600 gallons per day with real-time water quality feedback). For residential and commercial customers.
• Ascent and Peak Bottleless Water Coolers Bottleless water coolers that connect directly to the water line to provide filtered drinking water on demand, eliminating the need for 5-gallon bottle deliveries. Includes the Ascent, Ascent CT, and Peak models. Primarily for commercial and office customers such as offices, breweries, restaurants, and hotels.
• Bottled Water Coolers and 5-Gallon Bottled Water Bottled water coolers with Cook & Cold (from $12/month) and Hot & Cold (from $15.70/month) configurations, plus a bottom-load model that eliminates heavy lifting. 5-gallon bottles are reverse osmosis filtered, bottled locally under IBWA standards, and equipped with the Culligan Care Cap for spill-proof handling. For residential and commercial customers.
• Water Testing Services Free basic water testing with 30-minute results plus advanced EPA-certified lab testing for comprehensive contaminant analysis including PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and bacteria. For residential and commercial customers in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Salt Delivery Service Regular softener salt delivery service with brine tank filling, 10-point water softener inspection per visit (Salt 'n Service program), automatic scheduling, and bulk pricing options for regular customers. For residential water softener owners.
• Water Delivery Service Bottled water delivery service providing reverse osmosis filtered 5-gallon bottles and cases of single-serve bottles with flexible and automatic scheduling options. For residential and commercial customers.
• Service & Repairs Water softener and filtration system repair, maintenance, installation, and emergency service for most makes and models. Standard residential service call is $249 including the service visit, up to one hour of labor, and standard diagnostic evaluation. For residential and commercial customers.
• Culligan Connected Home Smart home water treatment monitoring and control platform that enables remote management of Culligan water softeners and filtration systems, including filter change alerts and real-time water quality feedback on compatible systems. For residential homeowners using Smart or Tankless RO systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reverse osmosis removes up to 99% of total dissolved solids
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Culligan International CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSterling Water operates as a Culligan dealer franchise, selling and servicing Culligan water treatment products. Sterling Water owns and operates four Culligan dealerships in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The partnership dates back to 1949 when the original company became a Culligan franchise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EcoWater Systems: Largest U.S. water treatment dealer network and direct competitor to Sterling. EcoWater sells and rents essentially the same product categories (softeners, RO, whole-home filtration) to residential and commercial customers, and is based in nearby Woodbury, MN — overlapping Sterling's regional footprint.
• Mountain Glacier: Bottled water and bottleless cooler delivery service for homes and businesses. Direct competitor in Sterling's bottled water delivery and cooler rental segments with comparable subscription model.
• Waterlogic (now Culligan Waterlogic): Bottleless water cooler and filtration provider for offices and commercial customers. Direct competitor in Sterling's commercial bottleless cooler and point-of-use filtration categories.
• Rainsoft: Direct competitor in residential water treatment with a comparable dealer-distribution model. Sterling has explicitly acquired former Rainsoft operators (Rainsoft of Westin), underlining the head-to-head competition for the same customer base.
• Kinetico: Non-electric water treatment specialist and direct competitor. Kinetico offers twin-tank softeners, RO systems, and filtration through an independent dealer network — competing head-to-head with Sterling for residential and light-commercial accounts.
• Pelican Water Systems: Water treatment equipment brand and dealer selling softeners, RO, and whole-home filters to residential customers nationally. Direct competitor to Sterling in equipment category with an alternative distribution model.
• Sparkletts Water: Bottled water and bottleless cooler delivery provider serving homes and offices. Direct competitor to Sterling's bottled water delivery and cooler rental business lines across multiple regions.

Broad incumbents

• Primo Water Corporation: Public bottled water and water dispenser company (now including Sparkletts and Mountain Water). Competes with Sterling's 5-gallon bottled water delivery and bottleless cooler business at national scale.
• Culligan International: The franchisor of Sterling Water and a global water treatment incumbent. Culligan manufactures the Aquasential product line Sterling sells and rents, and operates 600+ dealerships — making it the broadest incumbent in the same product category.

Emerging players

• Springwell Water Filtration Systems: Direct-to-consumer online water treatment brand offering whole-home filtration, RO, and softeners. Competes with Sterling's filtration and RO categories via a different go-to-market (online vs. local dealership) but on the same product technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SterlingCulliganWater
• Instagraminstagram.com/culligannation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sterling Water