There are a great many water filter systems available, ranging from the very simple and relatively inexpensive, up to the very sophisticated system. The number of different situations for when a good water filter is needed is even greater. When a simple but effective filter is needed, one of the best options available is the Berkey water filter system. The Berkey filter looks a bit like either a large coffeemaker or a plastic water bottle you’d put in a water cooler, only taller. The reason is that the product works by allowing water, placed in the upper of two containers, to drip through two highly effective cartridge filters and fall into the lower container. A spigot in the lower reservoir provides the clean water. It does have the drawback that you must manually fill the upper reservoir, but it will treat nearly 4 gallons per hour and, given the size of the containers, you’re not likely to fill it very often. But the operation is not unlike a drip coffeemaker as well.

This is a refinement of an old European design, with refinements mainly in the filter material. The Berkey Black filter cartridges use 6 different materials to achieve such effectiveness that they can remove water coloring from water and, more importantly, a great many contaminants and nasty substances as well. There are other filters available for removing certain special contaminants, and a set of ceramic filter elements that are somewhat more durable and less expensive than the Berkey Black water filter cartridges. The downside to the ceramic filters is that their life is considerably shorter than the 6,000 gallons produced by the Berkey Black components.

Assembly is very simple and only takes a few minutes. The Berkey water filter is well suited for camping and they make smaller versions as well. There are less-expensive plastic filter systems, and there is also a line of stainless containers that bring a bit more class to the visual appeal when it is resting on the kitchen counter. The cost of the Berkey system starts under $300 but it can creep up over that amount depending on your final configuration. Replacement of the standard Berkey Black filters is around $100; total cost for water purified by this system runs around $0.02 per gallon. Perhaps because of the simplicity of the design and effectiveness of the product, there have been online sources suggesting that there exists a Berkey water filter scam, but there is no evidence of that; it is more likely just a marketing pitch to gain attention. There has been some issue with the fact that the product is not available in the State of California. The reason for this is that the state requires manufacturers of all water purification and filter systems to comply with some rather stiff disclosure regulations that would result in releasing certain manufacturing methods that Berkey considers top secret. So, on principle, the company has elected to stay out of California, which is unfortunate. It could be fueling the fire about a possible Berkey water filter scam however. The Berkey water filter is not for every situation, but in many cases it provides extremely clean water at a very low price. The most obvious applications are camping and in rural areas or third-world countries where electric power is unavailable or expensive.