There are few things more basic for human survival and health than having clean water to drink.
My experience in the Philippines last spring reminded me afresh of how much we take it for granted that we do not have to struggle daily to access clean water, or for that matter, to access water at all. Those of us in North America or other developed parts of the world have such an incredible privilege of being able to turn on a tap to find drinkable water, safe from most types of bacteria, parasites, and disease.
Yet, even our water is not ideal. Run-off from commercial agriculture includes herbicides and pesticides. An alarming number of pharmaceutical drugs have been found in tap water. Then there are concerns over exposure to various heavy metals, among a host of other contaminants found even in our "clean" water.
Our family has always chosen to have some sort of water filtration system, even if it's a very simple and inexpensive system like a Brita or PUR filter. A little over a year ago, we chose to upgrade to a Berkey system, based on many rave reviews that I had read, research and information provided by Berkey, and the fact that a number of health-minded companies I respected carried the Berkey line and highly recommended it.
A year later, I'm still so happy with our choice. Our Berkey Light is used constantly. The water tastes so fresh and pure. Friends and family that visit have commented on the wonderful taste.
The large capacity of the system is perfect for a family, as we can usually get away with refilling it about once per day (sometimes more if I'm using it for cooking water). It filters quite fast, although the best way to do it is to fill it before going to bed at night, for a full system of filtered water in the morning.
What exactly does the Berkey filter out?
Taken from the website:
The Royal Berkey® system removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222 and trihalomethanes. It also reduces nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury. This system is so powerful it can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other system can duplicate this performance.
For more detailed information on exactly what these filters remove, see this page.
I love that the filters are self-sterilizing and that they can actually be cleaned when they the filtration rate begins to slow down. You simply take them out, rub them with ScotchBright pads under running water, and put them back in. A set of two filters (each system uses two at once) will last for 6,000 gallons!
Would you like to win a Royal Berkey Water Filtration System ($283 value) from LPC Survival?
Rather than simply leaving comments, I'm trying out a new method for entering giveaways. Click below to complete one Rafflecopter form, for all of your multiple entries, and then you're done!
The Berkey is wonderful and easy to use. I've had a small portable one that goes camping with me. No matter how nasty the water is I always have confidence I can safely drink it. I would LOVE to have this one for Our home
I understand that this is the best watering filtration system to date. This Alabama water is always shutting down and we are often told to boil our water after each storm, also it does not taste good. Would love to use of these systems in my home.
I understand that this is the best watering filtration system to date. This Alabama water is always shutting down and we are often told to boil our water after each storm, also it does not taste good. Woud love to use of these systems in my home.
My boys and I are big water drinkers! I would love to won a filtration system like this!
I would love to win a filtration system to have safe, healthy water for my family.
we love berkey!
Water is just so unfortunately dirty these days...but it's SO necessary for life! We need a Berkey.
I have been wanting one for some time now. But we havn't had the extra money to spend on it at the time. Would love to win. crossing fingures..
I'd love to have a way of making sure that my water is fit to drink in any situation.
This is amazing - Thank you for the opportunity to win a Berkey system! I'd love to enjoy great tasting water as well as remove the fluoride and other impurities from our city-water.
I've had my eye on a Berkey filter for awhile. I currently have a GE refrigerator with a filter that removes many of the same things the Berkey removes — except fluoride. I would love to eliminate that from our water!
Clean safe water is so important! This would provide it for my family.
Thank you
I want one because they get so much out of the water.
This is another option (since so many of us have entered, and only one will win!) - they cost much less than the Berkey, but the filters are at least as good. It's a more DIY system and only as 'pretty' as you make it, but if you NEED clean water and can't afford more than $40, at least give this a look. http://shop.monolithic.com/pages/the-just-water-bucket-water-filter
I would like a berkey for peace of mind that our family is drinking the best possible water available.
It is scray to know what is in our water. We would love to have this in our home!
Would feel better knowing my drinking and cooking water has been through a good filter first.
Thanks SO much for having this giveaway! My husband and I are part of a community well and so many chemicals have been added to the water that
we don't want to drink it. We take bottles to my parents' house to get their well water. We would LOVE to win a Berkey so that we could actually start drinking our own water!
would love to have a Berkey - we've been needing a good water filter system for a while & have heard good things about this one :) thanks for the giveaway!
Amazing! What a great giveaway!
It would be wonderful to be drinking clean wonderful water! I'd love to be drinking pure water!
I have health problems, so a water filtration system would be wonderful! Thanks for the giveaway!
I have wanted one of these systems for years! I'd love to filter out the yuckies from our water. We rent so this would be great as we could take it w/ us where ever we go.
Id love to win it because it purifies our water. Then I would not have to buy bottled water
Even in the US, there are some towns that the tap water is undrinkable. We live in one of them. We get notices every 2-3 months saying that there's too much arsenic in the water, and an update when the city's arsenic filter will be completed. Being able to filter our own water instead of having to drive to the store to buy bottled water every few days would be a wonderful blessing.
I would love to win this to make sure my family's water is healthy and clean. I also like that it doesn't use electricity!
I feel I cannot trust our water where we live. I am hoping to purchase one someday when we can, but to win one would be a huge blessing!
I would really love to win this. I'm trying to figure out a way to buy one of these because it's definitely not in the budget, but I think it's a wise purchase for our family's health.
Thank you so much for this wonderful offer!
Been looking into water filtration and trying to figure it all out. This would be a dream come true/answer to prayers!
I just read a long article in Good Housekeeping about the need for water filtration systems...then saw this giveaway. I would LOVE this. :)
I've always heard that Berkey is by far the best water filtration system, and we'd really like to get one!!
I would love the Tattler Reusable Canning Lids
I would love to win this because I have become even more concerned with what my family eats and drinks. I have two small boys and I want the best for them.
We have a whole-house filtration system already--but we're active reenactors and camp water is pretty suspect. I'd love to know that even when we're not home, we're still doing the best we can!
I would love one because they take out fluoride, which our current RO system does not. I also love that it keeps in the minerals.
Would like to have a Berkey because the more I learn about our water, the more concerned I am becoming! Our city uses all sorts of chemicals that we'd really like to avoid!
We have one that we LOVE and it would be so awesome to have one we can gift to our MIL who has health problems. Thanks for the great giveaway.
we would love to use a filter for our city water.
I would love to win this water filtration system in order to filter out impurities and fluoride which is dangerous to the body.
We have a well and animals on our land, so we'd love a way to make sure our water is still pure.