Can Berkey filter pool water in an emergency?

In recent years, more and more resident swimming pool owners have turned to  salt-water pools verses chlorinated pools.

The main reason is health purposes, as chlorine has been linked to cancer and other harmful side effects.

But for those who still own chlorinated pools, the question comes up about whether or not a Berkey system can remove chlorine from pool water. Can that water safely be used for drinking?

How Powerful is the Berkey Against Chlorine?

Berkey claims to remove a long list of contaminants, including chlorine. According to test data, the Black Berkey filters remove 99.9% of chlorine found in water sources.

For this reason, Berkey stands behind its claim that its filters CAN remove chlorine at a level that makes the water become safe to drink.

There's More Too it Though

While chlorine is a major concern, it's not the only chemical found in swimming pools. Even salt-water pools have added chemicals.

Some ingredients besides chlorine include bromine, cyanuric acid, biguanide, and ammonia.

You can also find alkalinity increaser and pH increaser and decreaser, among other things.

In other words, removing chlorine from a swimming pool is not the only concern.

Different pools have different chemicals and contaminants, some that may not have been tested in Berkey labs.

There's no guarantee that every chemical in a pool can be removed by the Berkey filters because they haven't all been tested.

What is the Verdict?

In summary, if there's an emergency, drinking pool water that has been filtered through a Berkey system is overall safe as far as the chlorine goes. It's only recommended in an emergency, though.

You do not want to make a habit of drinking water from your pool, even with powerful Black Berkey filters.  It may contain additional contaminants or chemicals other than chlorine.

In an emergency, though, when there is no other water source, swimming pool water can be used with caution.