Why boil water?

Boiling water is an ancient and effective method for eliminating certain contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and parasites. Some pathogenic micro-organisms are destroyed at temperatures above 60°C, and boiling at 100°C for around 1 to 3 minutes is generally sufficient to eliminate the others. Boiling does not require additional chemicals, which is advantageous in situations where these are not available.

Nevertheless, boiling water has certain limitations and constraints.

First of all, this technique cannot eliminate chemical substances that are present in water such as heavy metals (lead, mercury), pesticides and other chemical pollutants. These substances remain in the water even after boiling. What's more, the taste or smell of the water will not be improved. If your water has an unpleasant taste or odour due to the presence of chlorine or organic matter, boiling will not remove them. Finally, boiling does not remove solid particles or sediment from the water. These particles may be of natural origin or come from rusting pipes.

Using a water filter offers additional protection, particularly in environments where drinking water is difficult to guarantee.

Using a Berkey® water purifier has several advantages over boiling

Berkey® water filters are renowned for their efficiency and reliability. Here are just a few of the benefits:

• High-quality filtration: Berkey® filters use Black Berkey® filtration elements, which are among the most advanced on the market. They are effective on pesticides, bacteria, viruses, drug residues, heavy metals and many other molecules. See details of the pollutants treated on this page.
• Longevity of filters: One pair of Black Berkey® filters is rated to filter 22,700 litres of water, making it an economical and long-lasting solution.
• Portability and flexibility : The Berkey® system is a completely self-contained water purifier. In fact, it works by gravity, without electricity, and does not need to be connected to the water network. All you have to do is fill it up, wait a few minutes for the water to pass through the filters, get rid of any pollutants and drink pure, healthy water. At home, on the move or in an emergency, it's your guarantee of always having drinkable water.
• Proven effectiveness: Berkey® filters are rigorously tested by independent laboratories to guarantee their effectiveness. They often exceed the filtration standards set by public health bodies.
• Easy to use : Berkey® systems are easy to assemble and use. Simply fill the top reservoir with water, and the gravity system will do the rest, providing clean, safe filtered water.

	Boiled water	Filtered Water Berkey®
Bacteria
Virus
Parasites
Heavy metals
Pesticides
Removes odours
Eliminates taste

Conclusion

Boiling water is indeed effective in killing dangerous micro-organisms, but it is not enough to guarantee totally pure and healthy water. Filtering water with systems like those from Berkey® offers maximum protection by eliminating bacteria, viruses, micropollutants, improving the taste and smell of the water while removing tiny solid particles.

Berkey® systems are available in a range of sizes to suit everyone from individuals to large families, with filtered water storage capacities ranging from 2.75 litres to 22.7 litres. A buying guide helps you choose the system best suited to your needs. Check out our site to discover all the benefits of the Berkey® gravity filtration system.