Many of us take good drinking water for granted, and don't realize how critical clean water is to our survival. The Big Berkey makes it possible to get safe drinking water during tough times.

The Big Berkey works on a double ceramic filter gravity feed that will filter up to 12 gallons of drinking water per day. Other systems rely on water pressure that forces water molecules through the filters, and the water comes into contact with the filters for fractions of a second. However, the Big Berkey draws water by means of gravity, and it stays in contact with the filters for several minutes. This allows the filters to be much more effective in capturing contaminates.

The Berkey filters 12 gallons of water per day, or 24 gallons if fitted with four filters instead of the two filters that come standard.

All Berkeys come with two Berkey Black filters.  

Big Berkey: 20" tall. 2.25 gallon capacity.
Configured with two Black Berkey® purification elements the system will purify up to 3 1/2 Gallons (13.3 liters) per hour*. This system can be expanded to use four purification elements and is capable of purifying up to 7 Gallons (26.5 liters) per hour*.

Royal Berkey: 23" tall. 3.25 gallon capacity.
Configured with two Black Berkey® purification elements the system will purify up to 4 Gallons (15.1 liters) per hour*. This system can be expanded to use four purification elements and is capable of purifying up to 8 Gallons (30.3 liters) per hour*.

Imperial Berkey: 25.75" tall. 4.5 gallon capacity
Configured with two Black Berkey® purification elements the system will purify up to 5.5 Gallons (20.8 liters) per hour*. This system can be expanded to use six purification elements and is capable of purifying up to 16.5 Gallons (62.5 liters) per hour*.

Crown Berkey: 30" tall. 6 gallon capacity
Configured with two Black Berkey® purification elements the system will purify up to 6.5 Gallons (24.6 liters) per hour*.  This system can be expanded to use eight purification elements and is capable of purify up to 26 Gallons (98.4 liters) per hour*.

**Replacement parts available upon request.

Filter Information

Super Sterasyl White Filters

The Super-Sterasyl white ceramic filters that come standard with the Big Berkey are cleanable and reduce up to 99.9% of particulates, cysts (Cryptosporidium Parvum, and Giardia Lamblia Cysts), parasites and pathogenic bacteria such as Cholera, Typhoid, Salmonella, Serratia, E. Coli, and Fecal Coliform. It also reduces chlorine, rust and sediment. The ceramics are impregnated with silver, making them self sterilizing.

A set of two Super-Sterasyl white ceramic filters are good for up to 15,000 gallons of water over their lifetime, and are easily cleaned with Scotchbrite or a soft brush. The Big Berkey has a 2.25 gallon capacity.

Big Berkey Black Filters

For extra protection the Berkey Black filters are available. Below is a list of things which the Big Berkey Black filter effectively filters. A set of two is effective for up to 6,000 gallons of water.