Why Are Berkey Water Filters Banned in California? (No-Lead Law 111-380)

Selling indoor water systems in the state of California it’s important to know the restrictions and processes that are in place. According to these requirements, any water treatment system sold in California must first be approved by an independent, third-party testing body, such as NSF, before it can be considered acceptable for sale in the state. Our purifying elements would be subject to NSF Standard 42 (aesthetic impacts) and Standard 53 (health implications).

You can find Berkey Water Filters Online Here

So, let’s further dig into why some of the Berkey brand of water filters are banned in CA, as well as which Berkey filters are allowed.

What Is the “No-Lead Law”?

For everyone who makes, sells, or installs brass goods used in potable water systems, January 4, 2014, was a notable occasion. Public Law 111-380, an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act, made it illegal to utilize brass items that contained more than 0.25 percent lead.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes drinking water quality standards and monitors how states, cities, and water suppliers execute those requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 is amended by Public Bill 111-380, sometimes known as the “no-lead law.” The phrase “lead-free” will be defined as (a) containing no more than 0.2 percent lead in solder and flux, and (b) containing no more than a weighted average of 0.25 percent lead in the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures under this law. Public Law 111-380 also establishes the formula for calculating the weighted average lead content of a pipe, pipe fitting, plumbing fitting, or fixture.

On January 4th, 2014 the no-lead law went into force.

Why Are Berkey Water Filters Not NSF Certified?

Rather than getting needless and costly NSF/ANSI certifications, they stand on their independent, thorough, and lengthy testing. NSF/ANSI certification is not available for Berkey Water Filters for two reasons. For starters, the independent lab tests have the screen for considerably more pollutants than the NSF/ANSI certifications that apply. Second, the prices for NSF/ANSI certifications are too expensive for the products being evaluated. They can offer the Berkey System and goods at the greatest price by avoiding extraneous fees.

Their independent lab checks for far more than NSF/ANSI certifications, and too much higher standards. The tests, for example, confirm the Berkey as a purifier that eliminates both germs and viruses, but NSF/ANSI certificates do not!

Standard 42 (aesthetic effects) and Standard 53 (safety) are the two NSF/ANSI certifications that relate to the Berkey (health effects). According to NSF/ANSI Standard 42, “designed to reduce certain aesthetic or non-health-related contaminants such as chlorine, taste and odor, and particles that may be present in public or private drinking water.” According to NSF/ANSI Standard 53, “systems designed to reduce certain health-related contaminants such as Cryptosporidium, Lead, Volatile Organic Chemicals, and MTBEs that may be present in public or private drinking water.”

Their independent testing shows that the Berkey removes all of the above-mentioned pollutants, as well as a slew of others, as tested under both NSF/ANSI standards 42 and 53. See the sections below for details on how to get rid of each one.

• Chlorine is removed at a rate of >99.9%.
• Cryptosporidium removal rate: >99.97%
• More than 99.9% of the lead has been removed.
• Removal of Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs): Below Laboratory Detectable Limits
• Removal of MTBE: Below Lab Detectable Limits

In conclusion, they’ve opted to forego the extensive and costly testing required to achieve NSF/ANSI certifications. The test results greatly surpass NSF/ANSI requirements, and cutting out superfluous expenses allows us to provide the Berkey System and goods at the lowest possible price.

How to Get Berkey Water Filters in California

In California, Berkey Systems are accessible! It’s crucial to note, however, that California has enacted regulations governing the selling of indoor water systems, which must be followed.

California mandates that any indoor water treatment system sold in the state be certified by an independent, third-party testing body, such as NSF/ANSI, before it may be considered acceptable for sale in the state, according to these rules. Berkey has been tested independently by third-party labs and found to greatly exceed NSF/ANSI criteria (see Berkey test results).

The act also forces corporations to pay exorbitant expenditures and divulge confidential information to achieve and retain certification with California once NSF/ANSI or any equivalent independent certification has been secured. Finally, they’ve decided that, at this time, the additional taxes, certifications, and red tape make it impossible for Berkey to provide their bigger Indoor systems in California. The test results greatly surpass NSF/ANSI requirements, and cutting out superfluous expenses allows us to provide the Berkey System and goods at the lowest possible price.

Sport Berkey®, Go Berkey®, Travel Berkey®, Berkey® Light, Black Berkey® Filter Elements, Fluoride Filters, and All Replacement Parts are among the California-approved outdoor systems and products.

Berkey’s California Friendly Water Filters

Travel Berkey

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The Travel Berkey water filter is a small device that is ideal for use while traveling and other outdoor activities, as well as in the event of an emergency. This is ideal for compact houses or RVs with little counter space.

Although the Travel Berkey water filter is the smallest, it is equally effective at purifying drinking and tap water. Its performance specifications will undoubtedly fulfill the categorization requirements.

Bacteria and parasites, heavy metals like lead and mercury, VOCs, hazardous compounds like benzene, chlorine, and chromium-6, pesticides, prescription medicines, and more are all removed to levels more than 99.99 percent by this method. It’s transportable.

Travel Berkey with you on your vacation. You’ll never have to worry about running out of clean drinking water again. Even untreated raw water will be filtered by Black Berkey. Get a Berkey System for your health, convenience, and enjoyment.

Berkey Light

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The Berkey Light is made of a non-BPA/BPS copolyester that does not absorb or leech smells into your water. Because it’s see-through, you can easily see how much water is in the upper container.

It is a less expensive, more portable, and lighter alternative to this brand’s stainless steel devices. In terms of filtering capabilities, the device produces filtered water of the same high grade. PF-2 filters, which may be purchased individually, are compatible with the system.

The Berkey Light system is a portable light that may be used at home, on the go, during outdoor activities, or in an emergency. This powerful system filters both treated and untreated raw water from a variety of sources, including distant lakes, streams, stagnant ponds, and municipal water supplies.

Water is purified by the integrated self-sterilizing and re-cleanable Black Berkey filtration components, which remove pathogenic bacteria, viruses, cysts, and parasites as well as hazardous substances including herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222, and trihalomethanes.

Conclusion

Although Berkey’s comprehensive testing is sufficient for 49 states in the United States, it is presently not suitable for California citizens.

After obtaining NSF certification, the state of California forces enterprises to pay significant fees to get and maintain certification with the state of California.

Finally, they’ve decided that the additional taxes, certifications, and red tape have created too much of a barrier for their company to sell their products in California.

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