Berkey Water Light Purification

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• HEALTHY – Berkey® systems are far superior to other filtration systems because they remove harmful pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites as well as unhealthy chemical contaminates and impurities while leaving in the essential minerals your body needs. Berkey® systems produce virtually the most healthful, clean and delicious water available.

• CONVENIENT – Berkey® systems assemble in minutes without tools, electricity, water pressure, or plumbing. What’s more, they are simple to operate and maintain.

• ECONOMICAL – Berkey® systems are easily the most economical water purification system you can own. Their unique design allows you to easily remove and re-clean the purification elements over and over again.

• POWERFUL – Berkey® systems can easily purify ordinary tap water, yet are so powerful, they efficiently purify raw, untreated water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds, ETC.. What’s more, Berkey® systems are the ideal water purification systems to have on hand in the event of natural disasters such as blackouts, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes as well as local or national emergencies when treated tap water may not be availableThis powerful system purifies both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. Perfect for outdoor activities and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available.

• FLEXIBLE – Berkey® systems are not only great for every day use, but so convenient and easy to use, you can take them anywhere: on vacations, hunting and camping trips, college dorms, and they are ideal systems for RVs and pleasure craft.

• ELEGANT – In either the shatter resistant, go anywhere high impact strength Lexan® or the elegant high-grade polished 304 stainless steel design, Berkey® systems are an attractive addition to any kitchen or home yet both rugged and durable.

• PROVEN HISTORY – The same high quality and effectiveness of the gravity filtration process, that is utilized in Berkey® systems, has stood the test of time. Gravity filtration has been used by relief organizations such as UNICEF, the Peace Corps, Red Cross Societies Internationally, missionaries and relief workers in over 140 countries throughout the world.

Berkey® Really is
the Ultimate in Water Purification!

Black Berkey® Purification Elements

Black Berkey® Purification Elements are more powerful than any other gravity filter element currently available. In fact, we tested the Black Berkey® purification elements with more than 10,000 times the concentration of pathogens per liter than is required by standard test protocol. This concentration of pathogens is so great that the post filtered water should be expected to contain 100,000 or more pathogens per liter (99.99% reduction - the requirement for pathogenic removal). Incredibly the purification elements removed 100%. Absolutely no pathogens were cultured from the effluent or were able to be detected, even under an electron microscope, setting a new standard in water purification.

Black Berkey® purification elements are so powerful, they can remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other filtration element can duplicate this performance.

The powerful Black Berkey® purification elements also remove or reduce pathogenic cysts, parasites, harmful or unwanted chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, VOCs, detergents, organic solvents, trihalomethanes, cloudiness, silt, sediment, nitrates, nitrites, heavy metals, foul tastes and odors, yet they leave in the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs.
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PATHOGENIC BACTERIA CYSTS AND PARASITES
removal to non-detectable levels:
E. coli - Klebsiella - Pseudomonas Aeruginosa - Giardia - Cryptosporidium

TRIHALOMETHANES
removed to below detectable limits:
Health effects: muscle & nervous system disorders, cancer
Bromodichloromethane - Bromoform - Chloroform - Dibromochloromethane

RADIOLOGICALS
removed to below detectable limits:
Radon 222

INORGANIC MINERALS
removed to below detectable limits:

CONTAMINANT HEALTH EFFECTS
Chlorine Residual cancer, birth defects

Moreover, Berkey® systems are capable of purifying both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. So powerful, this system is able to remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Perfect for everyday use and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available. Used worldwide for normal, hostile and emergency environments to provide the purest, sparkling clean water possible...

For generations, health-conscious people around the world have recognized that the foundation to a healthy life and healthy body is clean, fresh drinking water. This important essential element is the basis for enjoying your longest, healthiest life. No amount of vitamins or supplements can substitute for the vital life-sustaining properties found in nourishing, healthful drinking water. It is truly the foundation of life.

Unfortunately, securing your access to good tasting, sparkling, wholesome drinking water can be harder than you might expect. Water is often laced with chlorine, lead, high levels of harmful bacteria, and other unwanted chemicals and contaminants. Frequently these produce unpleasant tastes and odors. Even bottled water can contain these same contaminants, and moreover it is very expensive. Other filtration systems are inferior. Most do not remove pathogenic bacteria and many remove the beneficial minerals that your body needs.

Berkey® systems have long been recognized as the world’s ultimate in water purification. This simple, highly effective gravity method was developed almost 200 years ago... yet it still produces the most healthful drinking water available.

No need for expensive disposable filters. Black Berkey® purification elements are re-cleanable. When the flow rate decreases simply brush the Black Berkey® purification elements with a ScotchBrite® pad under running water, reinstall and your system is again ready to purify water. Each durable and efficient purification element will last for up to 3,000 gallons (6,000 gallons per set of two). That means if your family is just you and your spouse, and you each drink 4-8 oz glasses of water a day (the health recomendation) and you used maybe a 1-2 quarts a day for cooking, that's less than a gallon a day. At a gallon a day, your filters could last 16.4 years! ...Or for a family of four they would last over 8.2 years, and so on. That is years of efficient water purification. What's more, the unique Black Berkey® purification elements are self-sterilizing.

The Black Berkey® purification element formulation has been tested by State & EPA accredited laboratories to exceed EPA & ANSI/NSF (Std. 53) protocol.

LED lights are unique in that they require very small amounts of energy and yet are very bright, in fact, the LED's can be spotted for over one mile in dark environments. This enables the LED to be illuminated all night long on a single charge of the internal rechargable batteries. The Berkey® Base comes complete with an AC adapter allowing the base to be powered by a standard AC current. When the LED's are switched off, the AC adapter automatically begins recharging the batteries. When utilizing the optional Berkey Battery Adapter™ case, the low energy LED's will provide light (8 hours per night) for approximately two weeks on a single set of four AA alkaline batteries. Incredibly, you get two weeks of emergency light for the price of one set of small AA batteries. When standard electrical power is unavailable, the optional Berkey MP Solar™ charger can be used to recharge the Berkey® Base batteries during daylight hours for later use at night. The Berkey MP Solar™ charger also has its own internal batteries which can also be used to power the Berkey® Base or other aplications.

The LED lamps can be powered by the internal rechargeable batteries (included with LED base), the AC adapter

(included with LED base), the Berkey Battery Adapter™ case (optional) and the Berkey MP Solar™ charger (optional).

The flexibility of the Berkey® Base allows for its use as a long-term source of lighting in environments where electrical power is unavailable. Where electricity is available, the AC adapter allows for continuous use. The bright LED lamps have an average life of 100,000 hours, which is more than 11 years of continuous use.

The Berkey® Base is currently available in three versions; without lights, with bright white lights and with beautiful cobalt blue lights. The base without lights is designed for situations where elevation of the gravity filter is desired without the need for any auxiliary lighting. Cobalt blue is designed with beauty in mind and is for use in situations where it is desirable to enhance the ambience of the surrounding atmosphere. It is simply beautiful. The white LED version is designed for practical use in situations where emergency or auxiliary lighting may be required. The lights are bright enough to be usefull as a reading-light, night-light, flash-light or room-light.

Berkey® products are divided into two principal lines: Filters and Purifiers.
The difference between filters and purifiers is defined by the EPA: A filter must be capable of “4 Log" contaminant reduction, and a purifier must be capable of a “7 Log" contaminant reduction. 4 Log (simple filtration) means at least 99.99% of contaminants are removed, leaving no more than 1 part per ten thousand of the original contaminant. This “filtration level" of reduction is sufficient for many conditions. The higher “purification” reduction of 7 Log means that 99.99999% of contaminants are removed, leaving no more than 1 part per ten million of the original contaminant (1000x the effectiveness of the “filter” specification.) Systems that achieve this"purifier level" of performance provide ultra-pure water not only in normal conditions, but also in circumstances of extreme and highly dangerous contamination. The products displayed on this page are Berkey® Purifiers — the highest performing water treatment products available in the world today!

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

FLUORIDE: Testing for fluoride was based on 20-30ppm of the ion in the influent aqueous solution at a flow rate of no more than 3 gpm per cubic foot of media. Results of < 1ppm of the fluoride ion in the effluent were typical for the media (>95% reduction). Under optimum conditions, effluent concentrations of less than 50 ppb were readily achieved (>99.75% reduction).

ARSENIC: This product uniquely targets the entire family of arsenic oxide anions as well as the arsenic cations.

REPLACEMENT:
Under normal conditions it is recommended that each set of two PF-2™ elements be replaced after 1,000 gallons. Using the example above with the black berkey elements, a gallon a day, your
PF-2's could last 2.7 Years! As with the Black Berkey filter elements, it is advisable to keep a spare set of both on hand.

Aluminum: The media used in the PF-2™ filter elements contains high-grade activated aluminum oxide, which currently is the most efficient media available for extracting fluoride from water. Below are the results we obtained when testing the PF-2™ elements (the water was not pre-filtered through the Black Berkey® elements).
The reduction over time is due to additional residual process dust being washed free from the PF-2™ elements as the system is used. To give a scale for comparison purposes we include test results from a national brand toothpaste and water boiled in an aluminum pan.

• National brand toothpaste 52.878 ppm aluminum
• Water boiled in an aluminum pan for five minutes: 2.791 ppm aluminum

• PF2™ after conditioning (5 cycles): .178 ppm aluminum
• PF2™ after 10 Cycles: .037 ppm aluminum
• PF2™ after 20 Cycles: .029 ppm aluminum

While these indicate that the residual process dust adds a minute amount of aluminum to the water, the Black Berkey® purification elements reduce aluminum from the water. We tested water that naturally contained .320ppm aluminum and filtered it through the combination of the Black Berkey® and the post conditioned PF-2™ filtration elements (5 cycles). The results showed a net reduction in aluminum contamination (Raw influent: .320ppm - Effluent after passing through the Black Berkey® and PF-2™ elements: .232ppm). In other words the Black Berkey® elements removed more aluminum from the water than was added by the PF-2™ elements.

The Danger of Mineral-Stripped Drinking Water

With respect to the healthfulness of the water, most health experts, that are up to date on current research, are no longer recommending drinking Reverse Osmosis or distilled water on a long-term basis because these methods strip out all of the beneficial minerals from the water making the water an acidic "hypotonic" solution. A chemist will tell you that any time a hypotonic (de-mineralized) solution comes into contact with a "Hypertonic" (Mineralized) solution, the minerals within the hypertonic solution will transfer out of hypertonic solution and into the hypotonic solution until equilibrium is achieved. What this means is simply that when one drinks hypotonic water, the minerals in the blood and lymphatic system, which are hypertonic, transfer into the hypotonic RO or Distilled water that is consumed and the minerals are flushed out of the body upon urination.

In an effort to re-mineralize, the blood and lymphatic systems then begin to scavenge for minerals from other parts of the body, such as bones and other organs, and this process repeats itself every time de-mineralized hypotonic water is re-consumed. Several studies suggest that people who drink de-mineralized water (hypotonic) over a long period of time tend to be more prone to degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis.

Berkey® Purification systems do not remove the beneficial minerals from the water but they do extract harmful heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide.

Is there a way to verify the effects of drinking de-mineralized water?

Yes, you can check this out for yourself during a short fast. First check the TDS reading on your RO or distilled water, which should be around 1-3ppm. Then after drinking that water for several days check the TDS reading of your urine. Remember, the TDS only measures minerals not chemicals so any minerals that the TDS meter reads are minerals that are being leached or flushed out from your body.

What is the pathological removal capability of an RO system?

With respect to Pathogenic Bacterial removal, Reverse Osmosis does not remove Pathogenic bacteria and that is why it is often necessary to add an additional UV light to the system. However, the UV sometimes does not kill all the bacteria because any turbidity in the water can create shaded spots preventing some bacteria from being exposed. Typically, the UV is installed before the bladder tank, however it is in the bladder tank that bacteria usually colonize. Therefore, if the bladder tank is not sterilized on a regular basis, it becomes a source for bacteriological contamination that is never exposed to UV. Additionally, the carcasses of the dead bacteria remain within the drinking water with an RO system whereas they are removed by the Black Berkey® purification elements.

Which type of water will have the best taste?

With respect to taste, distilled water will taste flat unless you shake it up rigorously because the distillation process strips the oxygen from the water. The taste of RO water is typically very good. The taste of Berkey® purified water is typically very good unless there is an excessive amount of ionized minerals in the source water. Even in such

circumstances the improvement in the taste of the water is usually remarkable.

With respect to maintenance, how do the three types of systems compare?

All Berkey® systems are easy to disassemble and clean. Typically the lower chamber should be washed in ordinary dishwater once per month. The elements need to be cleaned after 6-12 months of use.

Distillation systems need to be soaked and cleaned with vinegar solution to remove the scale, typically after each gallon or two.

Reverse Osmosis systems can have up to four filter elements, with each needing to be changed at differing intervals from four months up to two years. This requires that the water pressure be shut off and
part or all of the system to be disassembled for maintenance. Additionally, the bladder tank should be washed with a chlorine solution at six-month intervals to kill any colonizing bacteria.

How do the three types of systems compare with respect to cost?

With respect to upfront cost, RO systems typically are the most expensive due to the cost of the system and the additional expense to have the system plumbed in. Next in cost would be a distillation unit. A Berkey® system will typically be the least expensive of the three.

With respect to cost per gallon of water, calculated upon the cost per gallon for replacement filters and energy costs, Distillation systems and RO systems properly maintained typically cost between 35-65 cents per gallon. A Berkey® system typically costs about 1.6 cents per gallon.

Have you ever wondered how Berkey® purification systems remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites while extracting chemicals including herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents, VOCs, detergents, cloudiness, silt, sediment, foul tastes and odors? Or, how Berkey® systems are able to reduce heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, aluminum and other dangerous heavy metals, as well as nitrates and nitrites without removing the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs?

And finally, how is this system is able to remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs?

The unique Berkey® design combines the age-old process of micro-porous filtration coupled with modern state-of-the-art technology and the

highest quality materials to bring you the finest water purification system available anywhere. The micro-pores within the self-sterilizing and re-cleanable Black Berkey® purification elements are so small that pathogenic bacteria are simply not able to pass through them.

The media within the elements remove contaminants by a surface phenomenon known as “adsorption” which results from the molecular attraction of substances to the surface of the media. The exclusive purification elements are also impregnated with proprietary “absorbing” media that promote IONIC “absorption” of pollutants within the micro-porous elements.

Another reason Berkey® systems are so effective in removing contaminants from water is the extremely long “contact period”. Other filtration systems rely on water pressure that forces water molecules through the filter

elements at 60-90 PSI. These water molecules come into contact with the filter media for a mere fraction of a second. By comparison water molecules, passing through the “Tortuous Path” structure of the Black Berkey® purification elements, are drawn gently by gravity and stay in contact with the media for a long period of time. This allows the filter media to be more efficient in capturing contaminates. For example, if you were to hurl 100 steel ball bearings at a large magnet, some would stick but most would bounce off. However, if you were to walk over and gently place the ball bearings on the magnet most, if not all, would adhere to the magnet. Berkey® systems fully utilize this principle.

This advanced technology was developed, refined, and proven through years of diligent, investigative research and testing performed by water purification specialists, researchers and

The dramatic superiority of Berkey® Water Purifiers is illustrated very graphically in the photograph above filtering the red food coloring. The Berkey® purifier's ability to achieve this level of contaminant separation demonstrates how strikingly superior Berkey® performance is compared to other purifiers. When bacteria are viewed under a powerful microscope, food coloring is often used as a contrast enhancer to make the bacteria easier to see. Yet the Berkey Light®, as shown here, actually mechanically removes the food coloring from the water — the Berkey® is the only filter system in the world that does this

Unequalled Effectiveness: Black Berkey purification elements are proven to reduce pathogenic bacteria (including E. Coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Giardia and Cryptosporidium) by 99.99999%. The Berkey Light® System has been tested with the highest pathogenic contamination levels that can be produced in a laboratory. When contamination levels exceed one billion pathogens per liter of water (10,000 times the density of contamination used in the standard test protocol for bacteriological removal) they're classified as "TNTC" (too numerous to count.) Under normal testing protocol, one pathogenic organism is tested at a time, each with a fresh purifying element. For this test, however, the laboratory was directed to combine three separate pathogenic TNTC cultures. Tested under this extreme contamination level, absolutely no pathogens were able to make it through the purification elements. The laboratory then incubated the water, and nothing grew. When the filtered water was viewed under an electron microscope not even in-viable (dead) microbes were detectable — nothing was present but pure H2O. Furthermore, contaminants reduced to below detectable-limits include Trihalomethanes, Radon 222, and volatile organic compounds including Benzene, 2,4-D, Heptachlor, MTBE, Styrene, Tetrachloroethylene and Toulene, among many others.
(Distilled or Ro will not remove several VOC's including benzene and toluene whose boiling points are lower than water) Even when compared to other gravity type systems, Black Berkey has been proven superior in test after test.

Warranted by manufacturer: Read warranty

Testing: The Black Berkey® filter formulation has been tested by State & EPA accredited laboratories to exceed EPA & ANSI/NSF (Std. 53) protocol. Click to see test results from the University of Arizona, Spectrum Labs and the LSU Department of Toxicology and Environmental Science.

Specifications:

Dimensions: 9"D x 26.5"H with base (21"H w/o base)

Capacity: 2.75 gallons

Flow Rate: 4.25 gallons per hour when full (102 gallons in 24 hours.)The flow rate of all gravity filters is highest when prefiltered tank is full.

Shell construction:
Shell construction is 50-mil thick Lexan® polycarbonate, the material used to make bulletproof glass and industrial safety face shields. The Lexan® polycarbonate shell is incredibly tough, yet lightweight compared to similarly sized purifiers made of other materials. Every Berkey Light® has a capacity of 2.75 gallons, can accept two purifying elements, and comes equipped with two Black Berkey® purifying elements. The Berkey Light® purification process is gravity driven, requiring no electricity or water pressure.

The Berkey® purification system removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites while extracting chemicals including herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents, VOCs, detergents, cloudiness, silt, sediment, foul tastes and odors. It reduces heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, aluminum as well as nitrates and nitrites, without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs.

The media within Black Berkey® elements removes contaminants by a surface phenomenon known as “adsorption” which results from the molecular attraction of to materials on the surface of the media. The exclusive purification elements are also impregnated with proprietary media that promote ionic “absorption” of pollutants within the micro-porous elements. Another reason Berkey® systems are so effective in removing contaminants from water is the extremely long “contact period.” Other filtration systems rely on water pressure that forces water molecules through the filters at 60-90 PSI. In such systems, individual water molecules come in contact with the filter media for a mere fraction of a second. Water molecules passing through the revolutionary micro-pore Black Berkey® purification elements are drawn gently by gravity and stay in contact with the media for several minutes. This makes the Black Berkey® filter media much more efficient in capturing all contaminants.

Water Notes

In terms of PH, Berkey drinking water is the highest alkaline of all the other systems.
The ultimate in Healthy filtration. Leaves minerals.

Top-Rated Water Purifier
Berkey filter beats RO & distilled. Berkey is used by organizations such as The Red Cross, FEMA, U.N. and World Health Organization.

What About Viruses?
Berkey systems do a very good job against tested virues. But what about the new viruses introduced each year that we havn't been able to test against?
Black Berkey® filtration systems are an ideal solution for treating suspected "new virus" contaminated water supplies. If there is a new virus reported or suspected in your area, you may wish to further treat your water in the upper chamber.. The accepted standard for using chlorine to kill waterborne viruses is 2 PPM (2 parts of chlorine per 1 million parts of water.) 2 PPM is achieved by adding 8 drops of straight chlorine (common chlorine bleach) to 1 gallon of water. For "good measure" the recommendation is often made to use up to 16 drops per gallon. Black Berkey® elements then remove all the chlorine from the treated water.