Water independence when the power or water goes down

How much water does a family need?

Emergency planners commonly suggest storing at least one gallon per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation, for several days. A family of four uses about 4 gallons a day just to cover the basics.

• Big Berkey: holds 2.25 gallons and filters up to 3.5 gal/hr with 2 Phoenix elements (up to 7 gal/hr with 4).
• Royal Berkey: holds 3.25 gallons and filters up to 4 gal/hr with 2 Phoenix elements (up to 7 gal/hr with 4).

Flow rate calculated with upper chamber full to top. Flow rate decreases as water level declines.

Fully configured with 4 elements, Berkey rates the Big for up to 85-170 people a day and the Royal for up to 100-200 people a day in emergency use. Both systems ship with 2 elements - add a second Phoenix pair to fully configure yours.

Big or Royal for a household plan?

For most households of 1-4, the Big Berkey covers daily needs and stores compactly (13" nested). If you want more filtered water ready at once and fewer refills, the Royal adds a full gallon of capacity. Compare them side by side.

Storage tips

• Never let wet elements freeze - it can crack them and voids the warranty.
• Away 4-15 days: put the damp elements in a bag and refrigerate them.
• Longer storage: dry the elements completely (1-3 days in the sun), bag them, then scrub and re-prime before reuse.
• Keep the instructions with the system. They include an off-grid bottle method for priming without a faucet.
• Never use softened water or salt water - it clogs the pores and voids the warranty.