Posted on 09/11/2023 5:08:04 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Since water purity and safety are important for your overall health, you may have investigated various water filters. One popular form of water filtration to remove contaminants is the Berkey water filtering system, but a Berkey lawsuit claims that those products don't work as advertised.
What does the lawsuit say about this company? Can consumers seeking purified water trust a Big Berkey water filtration system? Find out how the lawsuit started and what's happening in 2023.
According to BerkeyFilters.com, the manufacturer of Berkey filters, New Millennium Concepts (NMCL), is the company named in the Berkey lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in late 2022, is a class action suit claiming that Black Berkey filtering products do not perform as advertised.
NMCL has denied all of the lawsuit's allegations and requested the dismissal of the lawsuit.
NMCL made a public statement in December 2022, saying there were "many problematic issues in the lawsuit," including that much of the plaintiff's information came from websites of Berkey knock-off products. There was a lawsuit that had previously been withdrawn, and NMCL stated that the second Berkey lawsuit seemed to be an attempt at a "do-over" to force a settlement.
According to the NMCL statement, the plaintiffs aren't alleging any physical harm or adverse health effects from using a Berkey filter. Instead, the lawsuit claims Berkey filtration systems are "nothing more than an empty can or plastic bottle."
In August 2023, NMCL filed its own lawsuit against the U.S. EPA to stop the environmental group from classifying Berkey filters as pesticides. According to court documents, the EPA suddenly decided in 2022 that the plaintiffs NMCL and James Shepherd, owner of Berkey Water Systems, had to register their filters as a "pesticide device" and then a "pesticide."
Berkey stated that its filters aren't harmful, and the EPA's ruling will mean Berkey filter owners must turn to knockoff or counterfeit filters. It said, "The EPA's decision to persecute the market leader may well cause actual damage to the American people who the EPA is supposed to be protecting."
According to Wirecutter by The New York Times, one of the big problems with Berkey water filters is that they aren't NSF/ANSI certified. Wirecutter tested Berkey filters that it found to be inconsistent with the results of water purification tests conducted by Berkey. It concluded that it would only recommend NSF/ANSI-certified filters since its standards are rigorous and transparent.
Berkey's response to complaints of its filters not having NSF/ANSI certification is that it conducts its own independent lab tests to check for "far more contaminants than the applicable NSF certifications." The brand also states that required fees make NSF certification overly expensive, and they prefer to pass on the savings to customers.
Of course, Wirecutter notes that even if it didn't have concerns over the non-NSF certification of Berkey filters, it would avoid recommending the products because Berkey filters are so large and expensive.
Remember that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends the Travel Berkey Water Filter because it can eliminate 100 percent of "forever chemicals" in drinking water. However, the lack of NSF certification might be problematic enough to lead you to a different water filter brand.
EPA wants to regulate the filters as a “pesticide” since they contain silver.
I’ve been considering getting a Berkey filter but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
I like ours. We’ve had it for about 3 years.
Unfortunately, not sure when replacement filters will be available.
They are good for at least 3,000 gallons, so based on our daily drinking, we have a long time to go.
I didn’t know that it is hard to get replacement filters.
You can clean the filters and get more life out of them.
It's a sharp-looking little unit, I probably should just start using it.
I wouldn’t buy one. They look **exactly** like on the ones sold in Indiamart for a lot less money. NO NSF certification.
I’ll stick with my Sawyers, thank you.
I think they’re highly overrated. I just take a 24 pack of Arrowhead bottled water with me when I go on a trip with my travel trailer.
This is sort of old news.
I ended up with a ProOne system instead.
Same here. Bottled water for drinking on trips, and a five-gallon cube of tap water for washing. I do have a Katadyn filter if I ever need it.
I have various water filters for backpacking, including the Katyden but I bought this for the home prepper situation.
LifeStraw Family 1.0 Portable Gravity Powered Water Purifier for Emergency Preparedness and Camping
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FM9OBQS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I pour tap water into plastic jugs and let it sit. Glass containers would be better.
Rain water is best but a bit of a pain to collect.
I don’t live in fear.
I like the case of water when traveling approach.
Are there any systems that can filter salt water? Or would you be SOL if you’re by the sea?
I half-remember that the “black Berkey” filter candles would crack at the base, letting unfiltered water through.
I bought a genuine Berkey many years ago. And a supply of charcoal filter candles from a well-reputed third party. It’s in deep preps, have never needed to set it up.
Without actually “miking” it vs. a knockoff I once saw, I’d say that the Berkey was a heavier gage metal.
By now they’re all being made in some thord world country anyway.
Yes that is correct
The company had to quit selling them because of the epa.
My car always has at least a case of water, a water filter, and snow melting supplies, and up to 2 or 3 weeks’ worth of water when traveling.
There are systems for filtering salt water, when I lived on the beach I shopped unsuccessfully for a used hand unit which is very, very expensive and they were always sold by the time I called on them.
My home solution at that beach shack was a 5 gallon bucket that I could dip in the ocean and then use a large pressure cooker and stainless steel tubing to make a stovetop water still, I did it once and it worked fine.
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