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Berkey filtered drinking water I just filled our tea kettle and a couple of water jugs from our Berkey water filtering system. We've had our own filtered water from the Berkey for a couple of months now, but I still feel like jumping up and down with happiness whenever I remember that I don't have to fill a cart with re-filled jugs of drinking water every time we go to the grocery store! We live in town, so the water from our faucets is city water. The city water here is horrible! Sometimes it smells very strongly of chlorine. Other days, it smells like dirt. Yes -- clear "clean" water that smells like dirt! Sometimes the city issues warnings about not consuming the tap water during periods of high levels of nitrates in the water. Taste issues aside, we have never drank the city water here due to health reasons. We bought gallon jugs at the grocery store and each week, we refilled our jugs at the refill station. Refills were about 40 cents each -- much cheaper than buying bottled water or pre-filled jugs of water. As time passed and our family size increased, we were consuming about 2 gallons of water every day just for drinking water (not cooking water unless it was soup!). The carts at the grocery store aren't made to hold 14 gallons of water plus some groceries. Our car trunk was always packed when we went grocery shopping. And if we somehow forgot our huge string of empty jugs, we'd have to run back home and get them and refill them... because we couldn't go longer than about 8 days without getting water. I had looked into other possibilities, but they all seemed too costly. Expensive startup costs, filters that were costly, renting equipment, or having the water delivered from Culligan -- nothing seemed like the right choice. So week after week, we toted our jugs to the store and back. Then one day, my friend Crystal posted about the new water filtering system they had gotten. Filtered drinking water was something on my mind frequently (at least once a week! I had no idea how expensive this "Berkey" thing was, so I clicked on the link while holding my breath... just over $200. But -- the company was offering a limited-time promotion of 10% off! So this was something we could actually afford! After all, we were spending about $25 a month on our jug refills as it was.
 The Berkey water filtering systems are a countertop unit with filters in the top section and a filtered water reservoir underneath. They require no electricity. The filters will last for 6,000 gallons of water (they can be cleaned). The units with 2 filters inside will filter water at the rate of 4 gallons per hour. The filtered drinking water ends up costing about 1.6 cents per gallon! Joshua will attest to the fact that I very very excitedly told him about the new water filtering system that Crystal had recommended. We did some research and reading to determine if the Berkey would adequately filter our water. Soon we were convinced of the quality and safety of the Berkey water filtering systems, and I very thankfully placed an order for one! We decided to order the Big Berkey rather than the Berkey Light that Crystal had gotten, since the prices were comparable. We were more comfortable with stainless steel than plastic for health reasons, and we also wanted something very durable. And while I would never pay extra money just for a "look", the stainless steel is beautiful!! (You can see in the photo at the top of this page how shiny and pretty it is!) Our order was placed, amounting to $225. This included free shipping, along with a free gift of our choice, and we chose the arsenic and fluoride filters. From the moment I clicked on "submit", I started counting down the days until we could stop buying jugs of water at the grocery store! However, we were informed that Berkeys were on backorder everywhere -- including the company with which we had placed our order, MoreThanAlive.com. Berkeys are especially sought after for emergency preparedness and off-the-grid lifestyles since they do an extraordinary job of filtering water, all without electricity. MoreThanAlive.com contacted us and said that the Big Berkeys were backordered, but that if we wanted to upgrade to the Royal Berkey it would only be $22.50 more. Upgrade we did -- and I haven't regretted that decision in the least. Finally, our Berkey arrived! I washed it and assembled it easily and within 15 minutes. I ran a huge container of our icky tap water and poured it into the Berkey. Since we had been accustomed to drinking reverse osmosis water, I was prepared for a period of adjustment to the taste of the Berkey water. And when I poured that awful-smelling tap water inside, I was really hoping that this thing worked!! Thankfully, it did! It exceeded my expectations and hopes! The filtered water did have a slightly different taste from the reverse osmosis water, since the Berkey water has beneficial minerals still in it. However, it was a taste I knew I could easily get used to within a week. The addition of the arsenic and fluoride filters (our free gift with our order!) made the water taste even better. I think it tastes quite similar to the reverse osmosis water and the taste adjustment (for me) took only a couple of days. And the company, MoreThanAlive.com -- I cannot say enough good things about them! Their shipping is fast. They try to ship every order the same day it was placed, which is ideal for the impatient folks like me! I just received an email from Joy at MoreThanAlive.com and she informed me that their stock of Berkeys has once again been replenished. (I was waiting to share my excitement until the Berkey systems weren't all backordered! I asked Joy if there was a possibility of passing some savings along to you, my blog readers, and she said "sure"!
Okay, I know this is a long post, but I'm just still so happy with our Berkey... and we've already had it for 10+ weeks! :) Just one last note. I thought that the Big Berkey, which holds 2.25 gallons, would be big enough for our family's needs (2 adults, 3 small children). We ended up upgrading to the Royal Berkey, which holds 3.25 gallons -- and I'm so glad we did! Since the filters are inside the unit, the water capacity is slightly reduced. Also, we seem to go through a lot of water now that I can use it for cooking, too. While a smaller unit would still be functional, a bigger unit is convenient. :) Do any of you use a Berkey water system? I'd love your input! Which unit do you have, what are your likes and dislikes, and would you get the same thing again in the future? :) Aren't they the best? We bought the Berkey Light 2 years ago, and it's so wonderful having such clean water. Granted I would have liked to have the Big Berkey (FOR looks reasons!) but hubby said the light was fine for the price. We have saved soooo much money, as at least once a month we were replacing our faucet filters ($25 each time), so we have more than made up our money. We haven't had to replace the filters yet, and we drink sooo much water. We have to refill it twice a day! Our city water has the same problem..once day it smells like a swimming pool, and the next day it stinks. A few weeks ago the water was brown...and I mean dark mustard BROWN. Yet the city issued a statment that said even though it is discolored, "it is safe for consumption"...umm, sorry, no. The Berkey handled it, turning it sparkly clean in a few hours! My biggest seller after I bought it confirming how good of a decision it was, is that they have you test it after assembly to make sure all the seals and everything are tight. They have you place red food coloring in the top water to be filtered, and make sure it comes out clear at the bottom. I was skeptical, but the water filtering was PERFECT! And another great advantage was whenever the water flow seams to slow filtering out, just scrub the filters with a toothbrush. And make sure you have a strong stomach, cause the black slimy stuff that scrubs off can be pretty icky! But it is nice knowing that stuff isn't being drank in your water anymore! Ok, I'm gushing too much, but can you tell I love this thing? lol. I do have a question for you Tammy...are the arsenic and fluoride filters different than the normal ones that come with it? Do they filter fluoride? If that is the case we might just go ahead and replace our filters with those because they are better! Alright, I'll stop now..glad you are enjoying your filter Tammy! Holly (Mommy to 5, and wife to Matthew)  Holly, thanks for the input! Sounds like you totally understand my exuberance over the Berkey. :) The arsenic and fluoride filter is separate from the black berkey filter. The black filters attach in the top of the unit. The fluoride and arsenic filters attach and hang below the black filters -- so they are in the bottom of the unit. We thought that the arsenic and fluoride filter improved the taste of the drinking water and made the taste very similar to the reverse osmosis water we had been buying... I would not hesitate to order them in the future, although they don't last as long and can't be cleaned (see their website for details). I am soo EXCITED to see this. We are currently in the same position you were in and I have been diligently researching some less expensive avenue to obtain good, healthy and tasty drinking water. I've already sent your links to my hubby to start a discussion and fact finding mission to see if this works for us. ( I suspect it will!) Thank you so much for being so generous with your experiences and knowledge! Nancy We have the Berkey Light, and are SO glad we got it! My main reason for getting the Light was so I could see the water level and remember to fill it. We fill ours about twice per day (currently 1 adult and 3 children [the 4th is still nursing] with dh deployed) now that we are making ice with the water as well. If I'm making broth or something like that and know I'll be using lots of water I'll just add a pitcher or two whenever I'm nearby and notice there is room. I think the Berkey is one of the best investments we've made for our health. (And I'm not earning anything by saying so! ;) ) Tammy, may I ask where you keep this filtering system? Does it need to be near the water source, as I would think its quite heavy to move. Just thinking where I would fit one in my kitchen. We don't carry jugs of water anymore, but the Pur water system on my faucet I'm not happy with, and is very expensive. Oh, another question, how long do you think your filters will last you? thanks Anna What has worked for us is to keep the Berkey on a countertop located on our enclosed porch. (Any sturdy table or counter would work.) We like our water at room temperature, so we fill our glasses right from the spigot. :) The Berkey is heavy when full, though I am sure that Joshua could carry ours (3.25 gallons) easily. :) I actually run tap water into a pitcher and pour it into the top of the Berkey. So, I never move the unit. It doesn't need to be near the water source, because it is a stand-alone filtering system. This is a huge plus for us since there's no ideal location in our kitchen, but the enclosed porch is out of the way while still being convenient. :) I'm sure every home is different though! :) Oh, also -- the black Berkey filters will last for 6,000 gallons of water. We use 3+ gallons a day,and they should last 5+ years for us. We have been looking for a water filtering unit, I will have to talk to hubby and see if this is something he would like to invest in! Thank you so much for sharing. We got one after Crystal mentioned it too! We got the light because we were being conservative with our finanaces. We have cistern water and eventually I hope to use the filter on that water. Right now, our gutters are in deire need of repair, so I will wait until this fall when hubby has a chance to complete that project. In the mean time, I fill up jugs at my in-laws every couple days and filter them at home. We love it! I just can't wait until we can start using the water we collect in our cistern! I tease my husband about how "green" we will be then! We have the Berkey Traveler, the smallest stainless steel one. We love it. We had been using an electric distiller for many, many years and I was tired of using electricity for it and how slow it was. We could only get three gallons a day. With the Berkey, it is quiet, no electric, and makes a lot of water quickly. We have four five gallon containers and about 15 one gallone jugs that we keep filled and rotate. We have a water dispenser that the five gallon containers are used on. So, we have 35 gallons of water at all times. With the distiller, every time it was time to fill one of the big containers, it would take days to get caught up. With the Berkey, I am caught up the day we need it. :-D I just love it! We are planning on (one of these day) setting up a rainwater catching system and we will filter that through the Berkey. Can't wait! :-D How do we make sure you get credit thru the affiliate program when we do order? I beleive we will be ordering tonight or tomorrow. Hubby is deployed so he told me to research and decide! Nancy We did a lot of research about water filters and ended up purchasing the Berkey Light about 15 months ago. It has been wonderful. We, too, live in a city, and the water is way chlorinated and tastes gross. We got our Berkey Light from http://directive21.com, and it came with 3 sport water bottles, each with its own mini-purifier. They work great, too--we take them everywhere. Melissa Thank you so much Tammy. We had all ready planned on buying one but had not decided where to order from. After seeing your blog I just placed an order and am so very excited. We live out in the country and our well water is rusty and tastes salty. I am thrilled that my Berkey will soon be here and I won't have to lug gallon jugs 30 miles home from the grocery store any more! We have had one for about 3 years. Recently we upgraded to a stainless steel one because we are concerned that the Berkey Light is made of #7 plastic (leaches bisphenol A). We love the filter! Tammy, We took it to the beach one year and my dear mil laughed when she saw it because she "had no idea we drank that much coffee!" She thought we had brought a coffee urn with us. < She soon tasted the best beach water she had ever had in all her years vacationing at the beach. I'm so glad you all are enjoying yours. Peace, I'm curious to know if there is any way to keep the water cold? You said that you like it at room temp, but we like our water cold (and I don't like to put ice cubes in my drinks). I think the easiest way to achieve cold filtered water would be to run the filtered water into a pitcher or jug and put the pitcher in the fridge. :) Hi Tammy. We also bought the Big Berkey a couple of months ago. The problem is, we have soft water and the Berkey does not remove the soft water taste. I have talked to them about it and because of the dissolved salt in the water, it will not remove it. Our water currently goes through an Iron Filter and then the water softener. Then I asked if we could put our well water right through it (it is very very high in iron) and it would not remove the iron because that is a mineral. My husband just wants me to sell it, but I want so badly for it to work.... I am also tired of carrying water from the grocery store. Any suggestions?? (we are using the black filters) Hi Diana, I don't have another way of contacting you so I'll just reply here. :) I emailed Joy at More Than Alive, where we purchased our Berkey, and asked for her input since she's much more knowledgeable about Berkeys than I am. Here is her reply:
Diana, let us know if you have any more questions! :) Tammy (and Joy), Thank you SO MUCH for the information. We bought the unit from James Filters. Further information was obtained through Pleasant Hill Grains (suggested by a blogging friend). I will immediately try our well water through the Berkey. We have a Berkey Light and love it. We bought it when we lived on a farm that had terrible water. When it came out of the faucet it was brown in color and tasted like you were sucking on a piece of metal! I had to clean the purifying units about 2-4 times a month. Now we live in town but still use it all the time. We will actually have to start thinking about getting a larger one soon. We love ours and I wouldn't give it up for anything! Oh, Tammy, I am SO happy to report that we have run our first batch of well water through the Berkey and it is AWESOME!!!! I cannot tell you happy I am! It is totally clear and tastes wonderful.... and my very particular husband agrees!  Lee and I had been discussing Berkeys for nearly two weeks before you posted this and Lee had just decided that he was going to put an order in that weekend :). Between the free gift with purchase and the code you shared, the website you directed us to was a good bit cheaper than where we had been looking so when I showed Lee he went ahead and ordered it right then and there, as well as filters for the showers while he was at it. After reading your post we went with a bigger one than we were originally looking at and I am really glad we did. The water does taste wonderful! Even better than the water we had been filtering through a faucet filter. We've also figured it up and we will be saving thousands of dollars in the long run by no longer needing to replace the filters for the faucet, even when you figure replacing the filters in the Berkey! We like our water cold but it isn't a big deal to just fill up a couple of pitchers to keep in the fridge. It was interesting to find a workable spot for it, our counters are getting quite full! Thanks so much :)! Shelby, that is great to hear!! :D I am so glad you were able to get one -- we love ours! :) I didn't have any place on the counter where mine would fit, so we have our Berkey on a counter top out on our enclosed porch. :) I didn't want it on the kitchen table, which was the only place in the kitchen we could put it! After years of longing for a water filter (on my part) we bought the biggest Berkey available earlier this year - I think it's the Crown Berkey. After ordering, also from More Than Alive, I could not wait for it to come. It came very fast and we immediately set it up and filled it up. The water is so good, and I am so glad to have a non-electric, portable (should we ever move) source for drinking water. With our large family, we have to fill it twice a day to meet all of our drinking and cooking needs. On bigger cooking days, we'll fill it even more often. The five oldest kids each have a day when it is their turn to fill the Berkey - morning and evening. Our kitchen space is limited, but we did have one small wooden, rolling stand that held some miscellaneous things. Those things were removed and the Berkey took their place. Susan Post new comment |
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) and my heart lept when I read about her new filtering system. Seriously! Okay, try dragging 14 gallons of water to and from the car every week... then you'll understand!
That sounds wonderful!! I hear you about city water, we have the same here, so we never drink it either.
That is wonderful, Tammy!! ~Tanya - mama to 5 :)