A Berkey Water System Filters What?

A Berkey is a gravity-fed tap-water filter. Once people see what can remain in city water after treatment, they look for a countertop option that does not need power.

EWG has reported hundreds of pollutants in U.S. utility tap water across many test records. Levels vary by city.

What a Berkey Can Reduce

Utility water can still contain arsenic, fluoride, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals, fuel additives, chlorine, and pesticides.

Cities treat water for public-health reasons. A home filter is an extra step for leftover chemicals and taste.

A cheap pitcher often does little beyond chlorine taste. Whole-house RO can reduce more dissolved solids, costs more, and strips minerals.

Berkey uses gravity. No electricity and no household water pressure. Elements use micro-porous media plus adsorption.

Testing has shown strong reduction of heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, trihalomethanes, chlorine, VOCs, lead, mercury, and sediment, among others. Read the lab PDF and do not over-claim beyond what that file shows.

How Long Do the Elements Last?

Many store filters last a couple of months. A pair of Berkey-style elements is rated up to about 6,000 gallons. Official replacements are the Phoenix filters.

You do not need to count every gallon. Replace by rated life, taste change, or slow flow.

Scrub the outside of the elements with a pad under cool water. They are not “self-sterilizing.”

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