How the Berkey® water filter works

Water purification, the Berkey® secret

Used all over the world, Berkey® water purifiers have proven their quality and efficiency.
They eliminate over 200 contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, pesticides, etc... See details here
Discover how they work and you will understand why they are unique!

Premium purification

Berkey® water filters are made from high quality stainless steel (SAE304 standard). The care taken in manufacturing and polishing makes the system robust, durable and elegantly designed.

Berkey® water purification systems are among the most efficient and economical in the world. From their inception in 1835 to the present day, they have proven to stand the test of time. Gravity filtration has been used by relief organizations such as UNICEF and the Red Cross internationally in over 140 countries.

Berkey® systems are capable of purifying treated water as well as untreated raw water from sources such as isolated lakes, streams, stagnant ponds or any other uncontrolled source. They can therefore provide water purification for daily use  in the home or in any emergency situation, even if electricity and mains water are not available.

Health

Berkey® filtration systems are significantly better than other water filtration systems because they remove viruses, harmful pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites, as well as chemical contaminants and impurities, while leaving essential minerals your body needs.

Berkey® filtration systems are significantly better than other water filtration systems because they remove viruses, harmful pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites, as well as chemical contaminants and impurities, while leaving essential minerals your body needs.

Practice

Berkey® water purifiers can be assembled in minutes without tools, electricity or the need for a water connection. Maintenance is extremely simple and infrequent.

Economic

This is the most economical water purification system you can own, our cost comparison says it all! The unique design allows for easy removal and cleaning of the purification elements. One pair of Black Berkey® filters is capable of filtering 22,700 liters of water before it needs to be changed! That's more than 10 years of water consumption based on a daily water consumption of 1.5 liters for a family of 4.

Flexible

The Berkey® Purification System is so convenient and easy to use that you can take it anywhere: on vacation, for outdoor activities, camping, boating and is indispensable in the event of natural disasters, power outages, storms, floods or in local or national emergencies when treated tap water is no longer available.

Microfiltration

Berkey® purification elements are composed of a unique system of six different types of supports, assembled in a very compact matrix that contains millions of microscopic pores. These pores are so small that they produce what we can call a "tortuous path". Pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents, VOCs, detergents, cloudiness, sediment and sedimentary minerals, foul tastes and odors must pass through it. But these channels are so small that these pollutants cannot physically pass through them and are therefore trapped and removed from your drinking water. This process is called microfiltration.

Absorption and Adsorption

The media used in water filters has unique adsorption and absorption properties. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon whereby atoms, ions or molecules become attached to a solid surface. An ionic barrier similar to surface tension is created, allowing the tiny pores to block water contaminants smaller than their own size. This blocking process allows the Berkey® water filter to remove submicron viruses, which other water filters are unable to do without the use of chemicals such as iodine or chlorine.

Heavy metal ions (mineral molecules) such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, aluminum and other hazardous heavy metals are removed from the water by an ion exchange process whereby they are attracted and transformed by electrically bonding to the media.

Flow rate

Berkey® water filters are extremely effective at removing contaminants from water due to an extremely long "contact period". Other systems rely on water pressure to force water molecules through the filter elements at pressures between 4 and 6 bar. These water molecules come into contact with the filter media for only a fraction of a second. In comparison, water molecules passing through the Black Berkey® element structure are pushed gently by gravity and remain in contact with the media for a long period of time. This allows the filter media to be more effective in capturing contaminants. This advanced technology has been developed, refined and proven over many years of research and testing by water purification specialists, researchers and engineers. The flow rate or exposure time through the Black Berkey® purification elements has been calculated to achieve the greatest possible removal of potential contaminants from your water, regardless of the source.