After your initial stored water runs out, you will need to be able to use open water sources (streams, ponds, rainwater runoff) to get the water your family needs. This water needs to be purified before it can be drank…
And since there might not be any power, the system should be able to operate without external power.-
One system that is highly recommended is from British Berkefeld and they have been making these units a long time. They use “ceramic” filter elements come in two types- white (Sterasyl) and black (called Black Berkey) and both do an excellent job of filtering out impurities. The white units have been used for over 100 years with little modification and they are good for about 3000 gallons each. (a set will keep a family of 4 in pure water for years)…
Here is a video that shows one of these systems… they come in various sizes. The Big Berkey is good for 3-4 people and the Royal Berkey for 5-6 people.
Over the weekend, I am going to be building my own Berkey clone using their filter elements and I will share that with you in the near future. That could enable you to save a lot of money versus buying one of these stainless steel models… Like 60% cheaper for the same end result.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Rob,
That is a great idea. Looks like it would be fun and easy to build.
Look forward to seeing your clone.
Lynn Lane The Warrior Of Success
Looking forward to the “Clone Wars”!
http://www.martin-wright.com
So what is the purpose of using more filters than one – guessing here that it might be if we had to use run off water – yes?
Vicki http://www.bridalthreadshq.com
Vicki, Using twice as many filters speeds up the rate at which you can purify water. Two are twice as fast as one, and four are twice as fast as two. So, depending on how much water you need, you can use that many filters…
Rob
Thanks for the information, thats a perspective I never thought of. Keep up the good work.
Scott
http://www.scottpayne.me
Very cool, I never even knew these things existed. I’m still in denial so I can’t see myself buying one just yet. But, by the time I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of months I should be ready!
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
Babysitting Services, Babysitting Tips, Babysitters, Nannies
Cool. Can’t wait to see your DIY version! Water filtration can cost a small fortune so this is going to be really useful. And I happen to love alternatives.
Keri Eagan
Anything Alternative
This seems so cool. I always thought it would be a good idea to use a rainwater collection system and water storage so that you always have a water reserve. Ideally a 500 gallon tank buried in your backyard with a hand pump and the Berkey purification system would give you quite a supply of emergency water.
Steve Chambers, Sale Trainer Speaker
Hi Rob,
Living in the desert, I am ALL about the water! Great post. I look forward to your future post on how to build your own. Building up our self reliance skills fosters building genuine self confidence which is always magnetically attractive.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Single Baby Boomer Dating Success Expert
Rob,
To prepare the Y2K bug in late 1999, I bought a British Berkefeld white ceramic water filter. It’s a 7 litre model. At that time, the ONLY difference between the “slow flow” (2 cylinders) and the “fast flow” (4 cylinders) models was that you needed to buy the extra 2 cylinders for the slow flow model as all 4 holes to cater for 4 cylinders were already there! Due to my ignorance at that time, I paid an unnecessary premium for the “better” 4 cylinder model.
Also, I have been using it for 10 years with the 4-cylinders for a family of 3 ( 2 adults & 1 child). It’s only now that I’m about to change it as the water flow is now so slow even after I do the regular clean. Guess what, I still have the extra set of 4 cylinders stocked piled when I bought the unit 10 years ago! I did not knwo that the cylinders lasts that long with regular cleaning!
John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion
Good.
Money saved on filter can buy other stuff you are going to want.
There are other ways to clean water. Two more?(coffee filters with bleach, solar still, or just a tea pot with a long pipe)
cool. I was curious about how to collect and filter rain water.
Health, Fitness for Working People — Darryl Pace
Very effective systems! We used rainwater on my grandparent’s farm in Rhode Island. I thought my grandparents were frugal and clever to have developed such a great system, yet it was blindingly simple – so simple a 5 year old could help take care of it – what little care was needed.
It just makes good sense to collect rainwater for reuse. It’s foolish of us to depend on the city to provide potable water for our non-potable needs!
kate
Clever, clever! I like the self reliance aspsect of harnessing my own water.
Katie